Aerospace Simulation Engineer
San Francisco | Work Directly with CEO & founding team | Report to CEO | OpenAI for Physics | 5 Days Onsite
Location: Onsite in San Francisco
Compensation: Competitive Salary + Equity
Who We Are
UniversalAGI is building OpenAI for Physics. AI startup based in San Francisco and backed by Elad Gil (#1 Solo VC), Eric Schmidt (former Google CEO), Prith Banerjee (ANSYS CTO), Ion Stoica (Databricks Founder), Jared Kushner (former Senior Advisor to the President), David Patterson (Turing Award Winner), and Luis Videgaray (former Foreign and Finance Minister of Mexico). We’re building foundation AI models for physics that enable end-to-end industrial automation from initial design through optimization, validation, and production.
We're building a high-velocity team of relentless researchers and engineers that will define the next generation of AI for industrial engineering. If you're passionate about AI, physics, or the future of industrial innovation, we want to hear from you.
About the Role
As a founding Aerospace Simulation Engineer, you'll be in the arena from day one, building the future of AI for physics simulation with your own hands. This is your chance to take everything you've learned across the full spectrum of the aerospace flow regime - from subsonic to hypersonic - and use it to build foundation AI models that will transform how the entire industry works.
You'll work directly with the CEO and founding team to shape our product around the real pain points you've faced in your career: the tedious preprocessing, the manual mesh iterations, the endless parameter sweeps.
What You'll Do
Design, preprocess, mesh, simulate, and post-process aerodynamics and thermal simulations for aerospace configurations at unprecedented scale and speed
Come up with creative ways to design, mesh, and simulate hundreds or thousands of configurations systematically across flow regimes (subsonic, transonic, supersonic, hypersonic), building the data pipelines that will train our foundation models
Guide the development of our product and our revolutionary new AI models for physics by working directly on research problems with our AI team, bridging the gap between traditional CFD and cutting-edge ML
Work directly with clients to solve their problems and define benchmark datasets, validation criteria, and workflows that prove our models can match or exceed traditional simulation accuracy
Generate high-quality simulation data at scale, every simulation you run directly improves our foundation models
Advise the AI research team on the nuances that matter: compressible vs. incompressible flow, turbulence modeling across flow regimes, conjugate heat transfer, thermal analysis, shock interactions, and mesh design tradeoffs
Lead technical customer conversations with customers and internal teams, translating between the world of aerospace CFD and the world of AI
This is a role for someone who's ready to solve some of humanity's hardest problems, push past the limitations of traditional CFD, and build something that will define the next generation of industrial engineering.
Qualifications
3-5+ years of industry hands-on experience running aerospace CFD simulations, including preprocessing, simulation, post processing, and design iteration.
Strong experience with Star-CCM+ as a primary solver
Experience across the flow regime spectrum: subsonic, transonic, supersonic, and hypersonic flows.
Solid background in heat transfer, thermal analysis/modeling, and conjugate heat transfer (CHT)
Deep understanding of fluid mechanics, compressible and incompressible flow, meshing, boundary conditions, and numerical methods
Strong communicator capable of bridging customers, engineering and research teams.
Outstanding execution velocity and delivery
Exceptional creativity, problem-solving ability, ambition, and attention to detail.
Comfortable working in high-intensity, fast-paced startup environments with evolving priorities and tight deadlines.
Bonus Qualifications
Master’s degree (or higher) in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related field.
Experience with OpenFOAM.
Proficiency in programming languages (e.g., Python, Java) for simulation automation and data pipeline development.
Prior experience integrating AI / ML models into simulation pipelines.
Industry experience in adjacent CFD domains (automotive, defense, energy).
Experience at high-growth AI startups (Seed to Series C).
Forward deployed experience.
Cultural Fit
Technical Respect: Ability to earn respect through hands-on technical contribution
Intensity: Thrives in our unusually intense culture - willing to grind when needed
Customer Obsession: Passionate about solving real customer problems, not just cool tech
Deep Work: Values long, uninterrupted periods of focused work over meetings
High Availability: Ready to be deeply involved whenever critical issues arise
Communication: Can translate complex technical concepts to customers and team
Growth Mindset: Embraces the compounding returns of intelligence and continuous learning
Startup Mindset: Comfortable with ambiguity, rapid change, and wearing multiple hats
Work Ethic: Willing to put in the extra hours when needed to hit critical milestones
Team Player: Collaborative approach with low ego and high accountability
What We Offer
Opportunity to shape the technical foundation of a rapidly growing foundational AI company.
Work on cutting-edge industrial AI problems with immediate real-world impact.
Direct collaboration with the founder & CEO and ability to influence company strategy
Competitive compensation with significant equity upside.
In-person first culture - 5 days a week in office with a team that values face-to-face collaboration.
Access to world-class investors and advisors in the AI space.
Benefits
We provide great benefits, including:
Competitive compensation and equity.
Competitive health, dental, vision benefits paid by the company.
401(k) plan offering.
Flexible vacation.
Team Building & Fun Activities.
Great scope, ownership and impact.
AI tools stipend.
Monthly commute stipend.
Monthly wellness / fitness stipend.
Daily office lunch & dinner covered by the company.
Immigration support.
How We’re Different
“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again... who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly." - Teddy Roosevelt
At our core, we believe in being “in the arena.” We are builders, problem solvers, and risk-takers who show up every day ready to put in the work: to sweat, to struggle, and to push past our limits. We know that real progress comes with missteps, iteration, and resilience. We embrace that journey fully knowing that daring greatly is the only way to create something truly meaningful.
If you're ready to join the future of physics simulation, push creative boundaries, and deliver impact, UniversalAGI is the place for you.