Lead Fluid Analysis Engineer – Propulsion Systems

Ursa Major; Berthoud (CO); On-site; USD 155,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited PTO - Vacation, Sick, and...

Parental and adoptive leave

Medical, dental and vision insurance

HSA/FSA

Disability and life insurance

Retirement 401k match

Equity grants

Job summary

Ursa Major is seeking a Staff Thermal-Fluids Analysis Engineer to support propulsion programs. The role covers CFD and 1D modeling of rocket engine fluids, predicting pressure drops, mass flow, startup behavior, and system responses.

You will collaborate with design and test teams to anchor models, advise on improvements, and advance Ursa Major’s analytical capabilities while mentoring peers in a dynamic startup-like environment.

Qualifications

• B.S. degree in Mechanical, Aerospace Engineering, or a comparable field.
• 5+ years of fluids analysis experience (CFD and 1D).
• Experience in CFD using commercial codes (ANSYS Fluent or CFX preferred).
• Experience developing steady and transient 1D models, ideally ROCETS or GFSSP.
• Knowledge of SINDA/FLUINT, FloCAD, AFT tools, Flowmaster, GT-SUITE is welcome.
• Background in fluids, thermodynamics, and heat transfer.
• Programming experience (Python ideal).
• Experience with 3D CAD (Creo and NX).
• Experience with complex fluid-mechanical systems and safety-critical environments.

Responsibilities

• Use hand calculations and steady CFD to predict fluid behavior throughout the engine system.
• Build steady-state and transient 1D models of fluid systems to predict operating states and startup behavior.
• Identify potential design improvements and collaborate with engineering teams.
• Work with test team to anchor analytical models.
• Support anomaly investigations by building transient 1D fluid models.
• Own fluid models of rocket engines and related systems; support concept and mature designs.
• Improve analytical methods and explore new tools.
• Provide mentorship and technical guidance.

Skills

CFD analysis

1D lumped parameter modeling

Python programming

Thermodynamics/Heat transfer

Strong communication

Collaboration

Education

B.S. in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

M.S. or PhD in mechanical/aerospace engineering

Tools

ANSYS Fluent/CFX

StarCCM+

ROCETS

GFSSP

SINDA/FLUINT

FloCAD

AFT Arrow/Fathom/Impulse

Flowmaster

GT-SUITE

Creo

NX

Job description

Ursa Major is seeking a Staff Thermal-Fluids Analysis Engineer to support propulsion programs. The role covers CFD and 1D modeling of rocket engine fluids, predicting pressure drops, mass flow, startup behavior, and system responses.

You will collaborate with design and test teams to anchor models, advise on improvements, and advance Ursa Major’s analytical capabilities while mentoring peers in a dynamic startup-like environment.