Lead, Thermofluids Analysis

Rocket Lab; Auckland; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab in Auckland, NZ seeks a Team Lead for Thermofluids Analysis to drive aero-thermal design across ground, flight, and in-space operations. You’ll own system thermal design, CFD analyses, and plume modelling, and mentor a small engineering team while coordinating with design and test teams.

You will generate aero tables, characterise vehicle performance, and ensure margins meet mission requirements under tight schedules.

Qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
• 1
• 5+ years of industry experience in aerospace, automotive, or marine sectors.
• Experience with CFD packages Fluent/CFX/STAR-CCM+.
• Experience with thermal modelling packages Thermal Desktop, THERMICA, NX SST.
• Proficient in Python (numpy, pandas, scipy, matplotlib).
• Able to meet changing deadlines in a high‑pressure environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor direct reports, providing coaching and development opportunities.
• Drive delivery of key strategic engineering projects with resource negotiation across the org.
• Provide status updates, peer reviews, and qualification test levels using approved margining approaches.
• Perform CFD analyses of aerodynamic and heating environments for hypersonic to subsonic regimes.
• Model plumes and re‑entry concepts, define ConOps and venting.
• Own system thermal design across ground, flight, and in‑space operations.
• Run heat transfer simulations and develop design guidelines and mitigations.
• Model HVAC and cavity conditioning and support payload integration.

Skills

Physics-based problem solving

Python programming (numpy, pandas, Sci

Deadline-driven work ethic

Engineering problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

CFD: Fluent/CFX/STAR-CCM+

Thermal Desktop

THERMICA/NX SST

Job description

Rocket Lab in Auckland, NZ seeks a Team Lead for Thermofluids Analysis to drive aero-thermal design across ground, flight, and in-space operations. You’ll own system thermal design, CFD analyses, and plume modelling, and mentor a small engineering team while coordinating with design and test teams.

You will generate aero tables, characterise vehicle performance, and ensure margins meet mission requirements under tight schedules.