Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Jet Engineer

🎯 Role Definition

A Jet Engineer (Propulsion / Gas Turbine Engineer) designs, analyzes, tests and certifies jet engines and associated subsystems (turbines, compressors, combustors, afterburners, FADEC). This role blends mechanical design, thermodynamics, turbomachinery aerodynamics, materials engineering, test & instrumentation, and regulatory compliance. The Jet Engineer drives engine architecture improvements, performance and durability analyses, failure investigations, and production support while collaborating across systems engineering, manufacturing, flight test, and certification teams.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Aerospace or Mechanical Engineer with focus on turbomachinery, thermodynamics or propulsion.
Test Engineer with gas turbine / engine test bench experience.
Aerodynamicist or Combustion Engineer transitioning into propulsion systems.

Advancement To:

Senior Jet / Propulsion Engineer (Lead Designer)
Lead Propulsion Systems Engineer or Engine Architect
Manager of Propulsion Engineering or Chief Engineer (Propulsion)
Principal Engineer / Technical Fellow (Turbomachinery / Combustion)

Lateral Moves:

Systems Engineer (Aircraft or Powerplant Integration)
Flight Test Engineer (Engine performance & instrumentation)
Reliability & Maintenance Engineer (Engine health monitoring)

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead aerodynamic and thermodynamic analysis for turbofan, turboprop or turbojet engine components, producing performance maps, cycle simulations and sensitivity studies to meet thrust, fuel-burn and emissions targets.
Develop and execute component and full-engine test plans on engine test cells and ground rigs, including instrumentation design, data acquisition, signal conditioning and post-test data reduction to validate models and demonstrate requirements compliance.
Design, iterate and optimize compressor, turbine, combustor and nozzle geometries using CAD, CFD and turbomachinery-specific tools to improve efficiency, operability and life; provide detailed documentation and change justification.
Perform structural, thermal and vibrational analyses (FEA, rotordynamics) on rotating and static engine parts to ensure durability margins, thermal growth control and safe operating envelopes under off-design and transient conditions.
Generate and maintain engine-level mass, balance and performance models (e.g., GasTurb, NPSS, GasTurbSim) to support integration with aircraft systems and to forecast mission fuel consumption and range impact.
Lead root-cause investigations and corrective actions for in-service engine anomalies (surges, stalls, fatigue cracks, hot sections deterioration), combining metallurgical, inspection and life-scaling evidence to implement design or maintenance fixes.
Define and maintain engine specifications, interfaces and installation drawings for airframe integration teams; coordinate mounting, pylon, nacelle and bleed-air system requirements with systems and structures engineering.
Prepare and support certification activities (FAA, EASA, or other authorities), including showing compliance to emissions, noise and safety regulations; compile certification plans, compliance matrices, need-to-know justification packages and liaise with certification authorities.
Drive propulsion system control development in partnership with FADEC and controls teams: define control laws, transient schedules and engine protection strategies and verify performance in simulation and hardware-in-the-loop tests.
Develop life prediction, inspection and maintenance schedules using damage tolerance, creep and fatigue analysis to optimize time-between-overhaul (TBO) and minimize life-cycle costs for operators.
Manage supplier activities for critical engine components (hot section alloys, bearings, seals, combustor liners), including requirements flow-down, design reviews, manufacturing process audits and acceptance testing.
Perform combustor and emissions modeling and testing to meet regulatory NOx, CO and unburned hydrocarbons limits, including fuel staging, lean-burn strategies and alternate fuel compatibility assessments.
Lead cross-functional design reviews (preliminary and critical design reviews) and integrate feedback from aerodynamics, structures, materials, systems and manufacturing to ensure producibility and performance targets are achievable.
Create and maintain engineering drawings, BOMs, tolerancing, GD&T and inspection plans to support manufacturing and quality assurance for rotating and stationary engine components.
Use advanced CAE and data analysis (MATLAB, Python, R) to develop empirical correlations, parametric studies and automated report generation for performance, durability and cost trade studies.
Implement engine health monitoring strategies using sensor selection, data acquisition architecture and analytics to detect degradation, predict failures and recommend maintenance actions for fleet operations.
Define test instrumentation requirements and oversee calibration, sensor selection, thermocouple placement, pressure ports and strain gage installations for both component and full-engine tests to collect high-fidelity validation data.
Support production ramp-up activities by bridging design and manufacturing: resolve shop-floor technical queries, implement design-for-manufacture changes, and address non-conformances or rework issues.
Mentor junior engineers and interns; establish technical guidance, best practices and hands-on training in turbomachinery design, testing and failure analysis to build team capability.
Develop cost, weight and reliability trade studies for new engine configurations or life-improvement programs, supporting program management and commercial decision-making with quantified technical options.
Coordinate with flight test teams for on-aircraft engine performance validation, providing pre-flight briefings, instrumentation packages, flight test points and post-flight performance analysis to close requirements gaps.

Secondary Functions

Support customer technical queries and in-service support requests, providing timely troubleshooting guidance, field fixes and design change proposals.
Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives in manufacturing processes, test efficiency and QA documentation to reduce cost and cycle time for engine builds.
Maintain and update technical documentation libraries, configuration control records and change logs to support traceability across development and production.
Participate in multi-disciplinary project meetings and sprint-based engineering cadences, providing status, risk identification and mitigation plans.
Support grant proposals, technical papers and patent applications by summarizing technical contributions and demonstrating novelty in propulsion advances.
Assist procurement and supply chain teams in technical evaluations of vendor proposals, quality issues, and qualification test results for critical engine components.
Conduct onboard or depot-level troubleshooting, incorporating borescope findings, non-destructive inspection results and operational data to recommend repair or overhaul actions.
Contribute to safety reviews (PHA, FMEA) and ensure engine designs meet all applicable safety and regulatory standards throughout the product lifecycle.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Deep knowledge of gas turbine thermodynamics, compressor and turbine aerodynamics, and cycle analysis for turbofan/turbojet/turboprop engines.
Proficiency with CFD tools (ANSYS Fluent, CFX, STAR-CCM+, or similar) for flow and combustion modeling and meshing strategies applicable to turbomachinery.
Structural and thermal FEA experience (ANSYS, NASTRAN, Abaqus) for rotating components and hot-section parts, including creep and thermal fatigue analysis.
Rotordynamics and vibration analysis skills: modal analysis, unbalance response, rub/shaft-interaction and bearing modeling.
Hands-on experience with engine test programs: test planning, instrumentation design, DAQ systems (NI, Dewesoft), sensor calibration and test execution.
Familiarity with propulsion controls and FADEC development lifecycle, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing and control law verification.
Proficiency in CAD (CATIA V5/6, Siemens NX, SolidWorks) and product data management for component design and release.
Experience with engine performance tools (NPSS, GasTurb, GasTurbSim, or in-house performance software) and scripting (MATLAB, Python) for data analysis and automation.
Materials and metallurgical understanding for high-temperature alloys, coatings (thermal barrier coatings), and manufacturing processes (casting, forging, additive manufacturing).
Certification and regulatory knowledge (FAA/EASA engine certification processes, CS/ECS/TSO requirements) and compliance documentation skills.
Knowledge of emissions and combustor design best practices for reducing NOx and particulates; experience with fuel-flex capability (sustainable aviation fuel testing) is a plus.
Experience with reliability, maintainability and safety analyses (FMEA, LCC, damage tolerance, life-cycle cost modeling).
Practical experience with instrumentation and sensor technology, including pressure transducers, thermocouples, strain gauges and high-speed data acquisition in harsh environments.

Soft Skills

Strong problem-solving and root-cause analysis capabilities; methodical, hypothesis-driven approach to complex engineering issues.
Clear, persuasive written and verbal communication skills for technical reports, certification packages and stakeholder briefings.
Cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management across manufacturing, integration, flight test and certification teams.
Project management and prioritization skills; ability to manage multiple parallel tasks and deliverables within program schedules.
Attention to detail and rigorous documentation habits to preserve traceability and support certification audits.
Mentoring and leadership ability to guide junior engineers and create repeatable engineering practices.
Adaptability and learning agility to integrate new simulation tools, materials or manufacturing methods quickly.
Customer-focused orientation with the ability to translate operator requirements into engineering solutions and service improvements.
Decision-making under uncertainty and risk assessment skills, balancing performance, cost and certification constraints.
Ethical engineering mindset with focus on safety, regulatory compliance and quality.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or closely related engineering discipline.

Preferred Education:

Master of Science (MSc) or PhD in Propulsion, Aerodynamics, Turbomachinery, Combustion or Materials Engineering.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Aerospace Engineering
Mechanical Engineering (with emphasis on thermofluids or structures)
Materials Science and Metallurgy
Control Systems / Mechatronics
Combustion Science

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3–10 years professional experience in gas turbine or jet engine design, testing, or propulsion systems for a mid-level Jet Engineer role.

Preferred:

5+ years working on turbofan/turbojet/turboprop engine development or in-service support with demonstrable experience in engine test programs, certification activities and cross-disciplinary design reviews. Prior experience with FAA/EASA certification processes, FADEC development, and vendor/supplier management is highly desirable.