Senior Aerodynamics Analyst: Hypersonic CFD Expert

Rocket Lab USA; Auckland; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab, based in Auckland, New Zealand, seeks a Senior Aerodynamics Analyst to join the Thermofluids Analysis team. You will predict aerodynamics and aerothermal environments for Electron and Neutron across mission stages.

The role requires 5+ years in aerospace/related industries, with CFD expertise (Fluent/CFX/STAR-CCM+), strong Python skills, and a first-principles problem-solving approach. Travel and cross-functional collaboration are involved.

Qualifications

• A degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or similar field.
• 5+ 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).
• 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 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

Aerodynamics

CFD Tools

Python

High-Pressure Analysis

Problem Solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

NX CAD

Teamcenter

Thermal Desktop

THERMICA

NX SST

Job description

Rocket Lab, based in Auckland, New Zealand, seeks a Senior Aerodynamics Analyst to join the Thermofluids Analysis team. You will predict aerodynamics and aerothermal environments for Electron and Neutron across mission stages.

The role requires 5+ years in aerospace/related industries, with CFD expertise (Fluent/CFX/STAR-CCM+), strong Python skills, and a first-principles problem-solving approach. Travel and cross-functional collaboration are involved.