Aero-Thermal Engineer

catalyx space; Ahmedabad District; On-site; INR 1,800,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Provident fund

Job summary

Catalyx Space in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, is seeking an Aero-Thermal Engineer to lead aero-thermal CFD studies for reentry heating and TPS validation. This on-site role requires collaboration with structures, flight dynamics, and materials teams to develop robust thermal models across orbital phases.

Applicants should hold a Master’s in Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering with 5–10 years in hypersonic or rocketry aerothermodynamics, CFD campaigns, and uncertainty quantification, plus Python/C++/MATLAB

Qualifications

• Master's in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering or equivalent experience.
• Experience with high-temperature fabrics and woven composites.
• 5–10 years in hypersonic, supersonic, reentry, or rocketry external flow-field aerothermodynamic analysis.
• Strong knowledge of high-fidelity hypersonic CFD.
• Thermal-chemical non-equilibrium flows knowledge.
• Ground & flight test data integration into aerothermal models.
• Comprehensive CFD campaign from design to flight.
• TPS design/analysis experience across design stages.
• Uncertainty quantification and relevant math models.

Responsibilities

• Perform aero-thermal CFD simulations for reentry heating environments.
• Model aerodynamic heating, ablation, and material response under hypersonic conditions.
• Define aero-thermal boundary conditions and load environments for structures and flight dynamics teams.
• Support thermal protection system (TPS) design, analysis, and validation.
• Develop thermal models for spacecraft orbital phases.
• Generate heating footprints, load maps, and thermal margins for mission design.
• Collaborate with mechanical and materials teams on TPS material selection and structural integration.
• Contribute to design reviews, verification, and testing of thermal protection systems.
• Guide and mentor responsible hardware engineers to ensure hardware meets aerothermal requirements.

Education

Master's in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Python

C++

MATLAB

Job description

Job Description

Role

Aero-Thermal Engineer

Location

Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India (On-site)

Employment type

Full-time

Industry

Space Technology

About Catalyx Space

Catalyx Space is building the world's best reentry systems. Our reusable ReX vehicles return payloads from orbit at unprecedented scale, up to 12 tons and 60m3 of cargo, while operating the full mission lifecycle from launch to recovery. Our core innovation is a Origami-inspired deployable heat shield that combines the scalability of an inflatable system with the robustness of a rigid structure. Built from commercial off-the-shelf components, it enables the world's widest heat shields, the largest payload return volumes, and a scalable pathway for returning everything from commercial cargo to future space nuclear assets.

Responsibilities

• Perform aero-thermal CFD simulations for reentry heating environments.
• Model aerodynamic heating, ablation, and material response under hypersonic conditions.
• Define aero-thermal boundary conditions and load environments for structures and flight dynamics teams.
• Support thermal protection system (TPS) design, analysis, and validation.
• Develop thermal models for spacecraft orbital phases.
• Generate heating footprints, load maps, and thermal margins for mission design.
• Collaborate with mechanical and materials teams on TPS material selection and structural integration.
• Contribute to design reviews, verification, and testing of thermal protection systems.
• Guide and mentor responsible hardware engineers to ensure hardware meets aerothermal requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Master's in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• Experience with high-temperature fabrics and woven composites.
• 5-10 years of experience in hypersonic, supersonic, reentry, or rocketry external flow-field aerothermodynamic analysis.
• Strong knowledge of high-fidelity hypersonic CFD.
• Strong knowledge of thermal-chemical non-equilibrium flows.
• Experience integrating ground & flight test data into aerothermal vehicle models.
• Experience conducting a comprehensive CFD campaign from early design through to first flight.
• Experience with conceptual, preliminary, and final design/analysis of thermal protection systems.
• Proficiency in uncertainty quantification and relevant mathematical models.
• Hands-on experience with arc-jet or plasma wind tunnel test correlation to CFD.
• Proficiency in Python, C++, MATLAB, or similar languages for simulation workflows.

Nice to Have

• Involvement in planning, leading, and/or post-processing plasma wind tunnel campaigns.
• Background in designing hypersonic reentry vehicles.
• Proven ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, prototyping environment with rapid iteration.
• Prior flight heritage - your work has contributed to space hardware.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Willingness to work extended hours and/or weekends as needed.

Compensation & benefits

• Competitive salary (details will be shared with shortlisted candidates),
• health insurance
• Provident fund.

Equal Opportunity

Catalyx Space is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on any protected characteristic.