Aerothermal Engineer

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about 2 years old

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SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

AEROTHERMAL ENGINEER 

Work with brilliant, passionate engineers to tackle difficult problems and push the boundaries of spacecraft and space systems. The aerothermal team is responsible for assessing ascent and re-entry heating environments and guide design choices for all current and future vehicles (Starship/HLS, Super Heavy Booster, Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, Dragon 2, etc.). You will be responsible for a wide scope of thermal protection and vehicle architectural trades and you must always keep the overall system optimization in mind. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Lead development of airframe and OML design and configuration
  • Assess aerothermal environments and develop thermal protection strategies
  • Create, mesh, run, and post process computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models
  • Create databases for ascent and entry vehicles for human space flight
  • Create pre-flight estimates and assess thermal protection allowable
  • Develop tools for rapid and accurate estimates of aerothermal environments
  • Conduct review of post-flight data and compare the data to pre-flight estimates
  • Participate in the research and development process for a new generation of rockets and spacecraft
  • Collaborate cross functionally with design, development and test groups

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline
  • Experience with aerothermal analysis tools and first principles modeling
  • Experience writing code in MATLAB

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

  • 2+ years of hands-on experience in compressible fluid dynamics
  • Experience in fast-paced design environment
  • Previous background with translating engineering analyses into workable design solutions
  • Track record of successful impact on industrial design
  • Knowledge of multiple CFD packages
  • Experience with CFD meshing software
  • Experience with NX and other CAD software for generating water-tight geometries
  • Experience in hypersonic and high temperature Gas Dynamics
  • Experience in thermal analysis
  • Great attitude in the face of challenges

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

  • Must be willing to work long hours and weekends as needed

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

  • To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.  

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should notify the Human Resources Department at (310) 363-6000.