Aerodynamics Analyst: Hypersonics CFD & Flight Modeling

Rocket Lab Corp.; Auckland; Remote; NZD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab’s Aerodynamics Analyst role is based in Auckland, New Zealand, within the Thermofluids Analysis team. You will predict the aerodynamics and aerothermal environments for Electron and Neutron programs, performing CFD analyses across hypersonic to subsonic regimes and modeling plume interactions.

You will collaborate with design and test engineers to iterate concepts, validate performance, and ensure positive margins through simulations and testing, while applying a first-principles

Qualifications

• 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 CFD packages: Fluent, CFX, STAR-CCM+.
• Experience in engineering programming, especially Python (numpy, pandas, scipy, matplotlib, etc.).
• Demonstrated ability executing to changing deadlines in a high-pressure and fast-paced work environment.

Responsibilities

• 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 1st Stage.
• Process and interpret ground test and flight data—confirming MPE bounds, detecting out-of-family results, and resolving sensor configuration issues.

Skills

CFD packages

Python programming

First principles

Problem solving

Education

Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Fluent

CFX

STAR-CCM+

NX CAD

Teamcenter

Job description

Rocket Lab’s Aerodynamics Analyst role is based in Auckland, New Zealand, within the Thermofluids Analysis team. You will predict the aerodynamics and aerothermal environments for Electron and Neutron programs, performing CFD analyses across hypersonic to subsonic regimes and modeling plume interactions.

You will collaborate with design and test engineers to iterate concepts, validate performance, and ensure positive margins through simulations and testing, while applying a first-principles