Propulsion Fluids Analyst

About the role

We are looking for a Propulsion Fluids Analyst who is equally proficient in performing first order calculations as they are in running CFD or developing their own analysis code. You will work across design, analysis, development, operation, and reuse scenarios in a fast-moving development environment. This is a highly technical role for someone who wants to be close to details, make consequential design decisions, and help establish the propulsion and stage fluids systems of an orbital launch vehicle program from the ground up.

What You Will Do

• Aerothermal design of propulsion components including Injectors, Thrust Chambers, Nozzles, Valves, and other fluid system parts
• Analyze fluid transients, water hammer, priming, two-phase flow, cavitation, flow-induced loads, and feed system coupling across engine and stage fluid systems
• Perform thermal-fluid analysis of cryogenic propellants including chill-down, boil-off, and thermal conditioning
• Run trade studies on system architecture and operating points to inform design decisions
• Develop and validate pressurization system models (autogenous, helium, or self-pressurizing) to size pressurant requirements and predict ullage behavior
• Build, run, and maintain system-level models in tools such as EcosimPro, ESPSS, Flownex, Fluent, CFX, or in-house Python/MATLAB codes
• Support cold flow, hot fire, stage test, and flight campaigns with pre-test predictions and post-test data reconciliation
• Support anomaly investigations and root-cause analysis for fluid-related issues

Qualifications

Required 

• 7+ years of experience with one or more of the following:
• • Creating and running 1-D flow networks for component sizing
  • Performing 3-D fluid analysis on propulsion components
  • Analysis of cryogenic fluids
  • Combustion analysis including liquid injection modelling
• Inclination toward a fast-paced, resource-constrained environment with rapid hardware development using iterative design-build-test cycles that are central to the engineering culture
• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related field

Preferred 

• Sub/trans/super/hypersonic aerodynamics of vehicle during ascent and re-entry
• Thermal analysis proficiency
• Structural analysis proficiency
• Turbomachinery fluid analysis proficiency
• Functional proficiency in CAD (NX) and Python
• Experience with the following:
• • Performing Conjugate Heat Transfer analysis using Fluent or similar CFD tools on rocket engine components
  • Aerothermal design of bipropellant rocket engines
  • Methane delivery systems
• Exposure to complex fluid systems as well as understanding the behaviour of the mechanisms in those systems
• Advanced degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related field