Research Engineer, Aerosol & Liquid Dispersion Systems

Blackwing; El Segundo (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Rainmaker is seeking a highly hands-on Mechanical/Aerospace Research Engineer with deep expertise in aerosol science, multiphase flow, and compressible fluid dynamics.

In this role, you will bridge the gap between cloud physics and high-performance fluid systems, designing hardware that utilizes high-velocity gas dynamics to both fragment nanoparticle agglomerates and atomize liquid precursors into submicron aerosols.

Qualifications

• BS, MS, or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related field.
• Approximately 5 years of hands-on experience in mechanical engineering, focused on fluid dynamics and multiphase flow.
• Proven experience in Mach number optimization, internal nozzle flow, and choked flow physics.
• Experience building and troubleshooting fluidic or pneumatic hardware (high-velocity gas jets, Laval nozzles, precision sprayers, or powder dispersers).
• Understanding of droplet dynamics and breakup regimes and nanoparticle deagglomeration.
• Strong CAD proficiency (SolidWorks, Fusion 360) and hands-on hardware prototyping including CNC machining.

Responsibilities

• High-Velocity Nozzle Design: design, machine, and test Laval nozzles for liquid filament breakup and high-shear deagglomeration.
• Multiphase Dispersion: develop systems for dispersion of liquid aerosols and dry-powder seeds using high-velocity gas streams.
• Hardware Prototyping: build dry-powder micro-feeders, liquid delivery architectures, and aerosol generators; utilize high-pressure gas systems.
• Fluid/Mechanical Architecture: develop routing systems (valves, regulators, micro-channels) for choked flow and stable supersonic jets.
• UAS Integration: adapt benchtop concepts into lightweight payloads for flight with vibrations and high shear.
• Rapid Iteration: collaborate to evaluate performance and iterate nozzle geometries based on data.

Skills

Fluid dynamics

Multiphase flow

Mach number optimization

Nozzle design

Droplet dynamics

CAD proficiency

CNC machining

Education

BS/MS/PhD in Mechanical/Chemical Engineering or related

Tools

SolidWorks

Fusion 360

CNC machining tools

Job description

Rainmaker is pioneering a modern cloud seeding system to solve water scarcity and inclement weather problems. We develop and incorporate radar validation, weather-resistant UAS, numerical weather modeling, and sustainable cloud seeds into an effective precipitation enhancement solution.

The Engineering team at Rainmaker works on our UAS, dispersion payload, and in-situ/remote sensing systems. If you are interested in working in an extremely innovative and fast-paced environment, where your work directly makes an impact and difference in our operational system, this is a fantastic opportunity.

About the Role

We are seeking a highly hands-on Mechanical/Aerospace Research Engineer with deep expertise in aerosol science, multiphase flow, and compressible fluid dynamics. In this role, you will bridge the gap between cloud physics and high-performance fluid systems, designing hardware that utilizes high-velocity gas dynamics to both fragment nanoparticle agglomerates and atomize liquid precursors into submicron aerosols. You will tackle complex mechanical challenges to efficiently disperse cohesive dry powders and ultra-fine droplets, managing complex mass-transfer and particle/droplet momentum while strictly adhering to aerospace SWaP (Size, Weight, and Power) constraints.

Key Responsibilities

• High-Velocity Nozzle Design: Design, machine, and test custom Convergent-Divergent (Laval) nozzles to achieve controlled gas expansion for both liquid filament breakup and high-shear solid deagglomeration.

• Multiphase Dispersion: Develop and optimize systems for the simultaneous or alternating dispersion of complex liquid aerosols and dry-powder "seeds" using high-velocity gas streams.

• Hardware Prototyping: Build mechanical dry-powder micro-feeders, liquid delivery architectures, and aerosol generators from the ground up, utilizing high-pressure gas supply systems.

• Fluid/Mechanical Architecture: Develop the pneumatic and fluidic routing systems (valves, regulators, and micro-channels) required to maintain specific pressure ratios necessary for choked flow and stable supersonic jets.

• UAS Integration: Adapt benchtop aerosol generation concepts into lightweight, battery-efficient payloads capable of surviving flight vibrations and high aerodynamic shear.

• Rapid Iteration: Work collaboratively to evaluate hardware performance and rapidly iterate nozzle geometries based on empirical droplet-size and particle-size data.

Required Qualifications

• BS, MS, or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related technical field.

• Approximately 5 years of hands-on experience in mechanical engineering, specifically focused on fluid dynamics, multiphase flow (gas-liquid/gas-solid), or atomization.

• Proven experience in Mach number optimization, internal nozzle flow, and the physics of choked flow conditions.

• Proven experience physically building and troubleshooting fluidic or pneumatic hardware (e.g., high-velocity gas jets, Laval nozzles, precision sprayers, or powder dispersers).

• Understanding of droplet dynamics and breakup regimes (e.g., Weber number effects) and techniques for nanoparticle deagglomeration.

• Strong CAD proficiency (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, etc.) and hands-on hardware prototyping experience, including CNC machining and general fabrication.

Preferred / Bonus Qualifications

• High-Speed Flow Characterization: Experience with the analysis of high-velocity particulate exhaust, liquid-jet disintegration, or supersonic multiphase flows.

• Advanced Particle & Droplet Dispersion: Familiarity with kinetic aerosolization techniques where liquid or solid phases are accelerated to high velocities for fragmentation or dispersion.

• Computational Modeling: Experience with CFD (e.g., ANSYS Fluent, COMSOL) to model droplet/particle trajectories, velocity lag, and shock-wave interactions in high-speed plumes.

• Aerosol Instrumentation: Familiarity with standard analytical tools such as Malvern Spraytec, SMPS, or optical particle counters for characterizing both sub-micron liquid and solid aerosols.

• Basic proficiency in electronics prototyping (Arduino, Raspberry Pi) and software/scripting (Python) for hardware control and data acquisition.

Rainmaker is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Rainmaker is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

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