Aerodynamics Expert (MSc. or PhD)

What you'll do

Every task here has to run without a GUI. You take an aerodynamics problem, for example an airfoil at a given condition, build the computational domain and mesh, set initial and boundary conditions, fluid properties and solver settings, run the CFD case, pull out lift and drag, and then decide whether the flow field is numerically and physically believable. Python carries the glue: preprocessing, launching runs, parameter sweeps, postprocessing and validation. You create these tasks and solve or review them, and the AI model being trained learns from the verified result.

It is remote contract work, about 15 hours a week, scheduled however you like.

Who qualifies

• An MS or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, or in Mechanical Engineering with an aerodynamics, fluid dynamics or thermofluids focus; or a BS in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering plus at least 1–2 years of aero-specific professional or research experience
• A solid grounding in fluid mechanics and applied aerodynamics, and experience setting up and running CFD analyses yourself
• Practical Python
• At least one engineering tool you drive through a CLI, scripts, configuration files or an API (micro1 names OpenFOAM, SU2, Gmsh, FEniCSx, Elmer, CalculiX and SciPy as examples; equivalents count)
• The judgment to choose and defend mesh strategy, boundary conditions and solver settings, and to diagnose non-convergence, unstable solutions and physically wrong output
• Clear written English for explaining trade-offs

No single Python library is mandatory; NumPy, SciPy, pandas, Matplotlib and Jupyter are listed as typical.

What it pays

micro1's figure is $80–120/hour, output-based: you are paid for each task that meets the specification, with minimum submission requirements. That $80 floor is the highest among the "(MSc. or PhD)" engineering listings micro1 posted this week, where the mechanical, hardware and ML variants start at $60.

Worth knowing

Good:

• The BS-plus-experience route makes this more open than the title suggests
• Highest floor in its listing family, with 100 openings
• If you already run OpenFOAM or SU2 from scripts, the workflow will feel familiar
• Global and fully remote, no country restriction stated

Less good:

• Strictly command-line: Fluent or STAR-CCM+ users who work only through the interface will need a scriptable alternative
• Per-task pay, so a case that refuses to converge costs you unpaid time
• The ceiling is lower than micro1's separate Aerodynamics Expert (AI Response Evaluation) listing at $60–130/hour, which is response grading rather than running simulations
• micro1 expects you to start your first task within 24–48 hours of onboarding

About this listing

We read the ad on micro1's signed-in board on 18 October 2026, three days after posting. The pay, openings, qualifications and tool list are micro1's own text. The ad does not name the customer, the project length or the payment schedule. See micro1.