Turbomachinery CFD Engineer

PLD Space

Elche

On-site

EUR 70,000 - 95,000

Full time

3 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Physiotherapy at facilities

50% health insurance discount

Health insurance for family members

Health snacks and fruit

23 days paid vacation

Flexible work schedule

Restaurant tickets

Transport contributions

Training support

Internal mobility and teamwork

Job summary

PLD Space is seeking a Turbomachinery CFD Engineer based in Elche, Spain, to design and analyze propulsion turbomachinery, including turbines and turbopumps for MIURA 5 and MIURA NEXT engines. You will work with the propulsion team to integrate turbomachinery components into the engine system.

The role requires a strong CFD background, hands-on turbopump experience, and expertise in fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, and multiphase flow.

Qualifications

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
5+ years of experience applying CFD to turbomachinery design and analysis (ANSYS CFX preferred).
2-5 years of hands-on experience in fluid dynamic analysis of liquid rocket engine turbopumps.

Responsibilities

Design, build, and test turbopump hardware for MIURA 5 and MIURA NEXT rocket engines.
Perform aero/hydro sizing, flow path design, and analysis for turbopumps using CFD.
Generate and optimize geometry tools to iterate CFD results for best pump and turbine solutions.

Skills

CFD Analysis

Turbomachinery

Rocket Propulsion

Pumps & Turbomachinery

Thermodynamics

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering

Tools

ANSYS CFX

Job description

About PLD Space

PLD Space is an international companyon a mission to transport satellites into space, vertically integrating the engineering, testing, manufacturing, and operations of its reusable and sustainable rockets. Headquartered in Elche (Spain) and founded in 2011 by Raúl Torres and Raúl Verdú, PLD Space hasestablisheditself as a global benchmark in the small satellite launch sector. Its family of MIURA launchers and LINCE crewed capsulepositionthe company as a leader in European technological sovereignty for space transportation, covering the full spectrum of space missions.

PLD Spaceoperatesover 188,000 m² of facilities in Elche, Teruel (Spain), Kourou (French Guiana), and Duqm (Oman), enabling the company to provide comprehensive satellite and payload launch services into space.

Teamwork, courage, determination and ambition enable PLD Space to guarantee an autonomous, independent satellite space access capability, based on reliability at a globally competitive price. The company is able to offer best‑class launch services to commercial satellite operators, institutions, space agencies and national and international governmental entities

Mission

As a Turbomachinery CFD Engineer, you will be responsiblefor designing and analysingcomponents of the propulsion system related toturbomachinery, including turbine, pumps, bearings and sealing components. Yourmission will involve developing and optimize high-performance turbomachinerydesigns to support our innovative microlauncher space vehicles.

Responsibilities

Design, build, and test turbopump hardware for MIURA 5 and MIURA NEXT first/second stage liquid propellant rocket engines.
Perform the aero/hydro sizing, flow path design, analysis work for the turbopumps using ANSYS CFX.
Generate and optimize geometry tools to iterate against CFD results to find the best pump and turbine engineering solution and blade parameters.
Work closely with the propulsion team to assure functional integration of the turbomachinery components in the engine system.
Provide feedback to identify, improve performance, increase reliability or manufacturability, and assembly at design level and operational level.

Necessary Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
5+ years of experience applying CFD to turbomachinery design and analysis (ANSYS CFX preferred).
At least 2-5 years of hands‑on experience in fluid dynamic analysis of liquid rocket engine turbopumps, with focus on centrifugal pumps and associated turbomachinery components.
Strong understanding of fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, turbomachinery aerodynamics, and numerical simulation methods.
Demonstrated experience in one or more of the following areas:
- Cavitation analysis and cavitation margin assessment.
- Axial thrust prediction and thrust balancing systems.
- Hydraulic design and optimization of centrifugal pumps and inducers.
- Blade design and optimization for pumps and impulse turbines.
- Fluid dynamic analysis of turbomachinery primary and secondary flow paths.
- Combustion analysis of fuel‑rich or oxygen‑rich combustion devices such as gas generators and preburners.
- Test data post‑processing, model validation, and CFD‑to‑test correlation.
- Rocket engine turbopump performance assessment and troubleshooting.

Desired Requirements

Experience defining, planning, and executing turbopump, gas generator, preburner, and integrated rocket engine development and qualification test campaigns.
Experience with rocket engine test operations, instrumentation selection, data acquisition systems, and test result interpretation.
Expertise in post‑processing, reduction, validation, and correlation of turbomachinery and engine test data against analytical and CFD models.
Experience performing CFD analysis of combustion devices, including fuel‑rich gas generators, preburners, injectors, manifolds, cooling passages, and combustion chambers.
Experience in injector design and fluid dynamic characterization, including atomization, mixing, pressure drop, and combustion stability considerations.
Knowledge of multiphase flow modeling, cavitation prediction, thermal‑fluid analysis, and cryogenic fluid behavior.
Familiarity with bearing system design, seals, balance pistons, and axial thrust balancing systems for rocket turbopumps.
Experience performing multidisciplinary optimization involving hydraulic, thermal, structural, and rotordynamic constraints.
Experience supporting failure investigations, root‑cause analysis, anomaly resolution, and engine troubleshooting activities.
Familiar with manufacturing capabilities (typical tolerances) and processes: turning, milling, drilling, reaming, EDM, grinding, brazing, welding, 3D printing. Familiar with mechanical seals.

Benefits

Health& Wellness

Physiotherapywithin our facilities
50%discount on your health insurance
Youcan sign‑up your family members with health insurance at a competitive price.
Healthysnacks and lots of fruit

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