Team Lead - CFD

Segment (Twilio); Auckland; On-site; NZD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Rocket Lab in Auckland seeks a Team Lead – CFD to head a thermofluid analysis group for launch vehicles and space systems. You will guide complex CFD simulations, heat transfer and fluid flow analyses, ensuring deadlines are met while mentoring junior analysts and coordinating with design and test teams.

You will drive methodology, validate analyses, and share knowledge across global teams, shaping technical direction and best practices.

Qualifications

• Advanced CFD and thermal modeling expertise required.
• Proficient in industry-standard CFD tools and post-processing.
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a CFD team to deliver thermofluid analyses for launches and space systems.
• Define analysis methodology, validate results, and document best practices.
• Collaborate with design and test engineers to iteratively improve concepts and flight data.
• Coordinate knowledge sharing across global teams and manage performance expectations.

Job description

About Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab is an end‑to‑end space company delivering launch services, spacecraft design and manufacturing, payloads, satellite components, and more, with the goal of opening access to space.

Team Lead – CFD

Based at Rocket Lab’s site in Auckland, you will lead a team of hard‑working thermofluid analysts to support analysis, design validation and future improvements of Rocket Lab's launch vehicles, space systems and components. Your role includes setting the tone, driving productivity, ensuring deadlines and targets are consistently met, and mentoring the team.

What You’ll Get to Do

• Lead complex thermofluids analysis for Rocket Lab’s launch vehicles and space systems, including CFD simulations of hypersonic and subsonic aerodynamic flows, internal fluid systems (compressible and incompressible flow), and heat‑transfer analysis (conduction, convection, and radiation).
• Drive cross‑functional collaboration by working closely with design and test engineers to iterate design concepts, process flight and ground test data to validate vehicle performance, and identify anomalies using first‑principles physics and data analysis.
• Shape technical direction by conducting peer reviews, establishing analysis methodology, documenting best practices, and producing qualification test levels while coordinating knowledge sharing across global teams.
• Mentor and develop the team by coaching junior analysts on technical best practices, creating training opportunities, establishing performance‑management plans, and serving as a role model for professional behavior and effective team discussions.

Your Qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or a similar field with 5+ years of industry experience in Aerospace, Automotive, or Marine sectors, bringing a strong physics and first‑principles approach to problem‑solving.
• Expert‑level CFD and thermal modeling skills with hands‑on experience using industry‑standard packages (Fluent, CFX, STAR‑CCM+, Thermal Desktop, THERMICA, or NXSST) and proven ability to validate and document complex analyses.
• Strong technical toolkit including proficiency with NXCAD/Teamcenter (or comparable packages), sensor selection and data post‑processing, and engineering programming expertise in Python (numpy, pandas, scipy, matplotlib).
• Proven execution and communication abilities with demonstrated success delivering results under changing deadlines in high‑pressure environments, building strong cross‑functional relationships, and communicating effectively through written documents and presentations.

Nice to Have

• Structural analysis background with familiarity in structural mechanics and analysis techniques to complement thermofluids expertise and enable broader problem‑solving capabilities.
• Industry standards knowledge including experience with MIL‑STD‑1540, GSFC‑STD‑7000, ECSS‑E‑HB‑32, NASA‑STD‑5001, or similar aerospace qualification standards.
• Manufacturing process understanding with familiarity in conventional machining and additive manufacturing to inform design‑for‑manufacturability decisions.
• Mentoring experience with a track record of developing junior engineers and supporting their technical growth through training, on‑the‑job coaching, and career development.

Important Information

For candidates seeking to work in U.S. offices, you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident, or otherwise eligible to obtain the required authorizations under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). For candidates seeking to work in NewZealand offices, you must be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by U.S. ITAR and hold citizenship of an approved country.

Equal Opportunity

Rocket Lab provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment at Rocket Lab, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for the application/interview process should contact Giulia Johnson at [e-mail].