Aerodynamics Analyst – Hypersonics CFD Expert

Rocket Lab Corporation; Auckland; In loco; NZD 90.000 - 150.000; Tempo pieno

Descrizione del lavoro

Rocket Lab Corporation in Auckland, New Zealand, is seeking an Aerodynamics Analyst to join the Thermofluids Analysis team. You will predict aerodynamics and aerothermal environments across mission phases, generate aerotables, and validate CFD analyses for hypersonic to subsonic regimes.

You will collaborate with design/test engineers, model plumes, and help define re-entry architecture while ensuring positive margins through numerical analyses and physical tests.

Competenze

• A degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or similar field.
• 1 + years industry experience, ideally from the Aerospace, Automotive, or Marine industries
• A keen physics and first principles-based approach to problem solving
• Expertise with one or more industry standard CFD packages: Fluent, CFX, STAR-CCM+
• Experience in engineering programming, especially using Python (including Python packages numpy, pandas, scipy, matplotlib, etc.)
• Demonstrated ability executing to changing deadlines in a high-pressure and fast-paced work environment

Mansioni

• Generate aerotables and characterise vehicle performance—covering stability, control authority, loads, pressure distributions, and aerodynamic design of vehicle control surfaces
• Perform, validate, and document CFD analyses of external flow across hypersonic, transonic and subsonic regimes, and characterise aerodynamic and heating environments, transients, and separation events
• Model plumes and plume interactions (base heating, PIFS, impingement) and define re-entry architecture, including ballistic coefficients, ConOps, and compartment venting
• Work closely with design and test engineers to iterate design concepts, determine test requirements, and demonstrate positive margins through numerical analysis, and physical test
• Works closely with the GNC team to enable them to safely land and recover Neutron’s 1 st Stage
• Process and interpret ground test and flight data—confirming MPE bounds, detecting out-of-family results, and resolving sensor configuration issues

Conoscenze

Python

First principles

Physics intuition

Deadline driven

Formazione

Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering degree

Strumenti

Fluent

CFX

STAR-CCM+

Descrizione del lavoro

Rocket Lab Corporation in Auckland, New Zealand, is seeking an Aerodynamics Analyst to join the Thermofluids Analysis team. You will predict aerodynamics and aerothermal environments across mission phases, generate aerotables, and validate CFD analyses for hypersonic to subsonic regimes.

You will collaborate with design/test engineers, model plumes, and help define re-entry architecture while ensuring positive margins through numerical analyses and physical tests.