Senior Combustion Engineer - Propulsion & CFD Innovator

Mach Industries Inc.; San Luis Obispo (CA); On-site; USD 115,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare

Dental & Vision

Retirement plan

Equity participation

Professional development

Paid time off

Job summary

Mach Industries, a defense technology company in San Luis Obispo, seeks a Combustion Engineer to research, design, test, and optimize advanced combustion systems for air-breathing propulsion and energy applications. The role requires experimental and CFD-driven work with cross-functional teams.

Required 4+ years in combustion or related fields; strong MATLAB/Python skills and CFD experience. Competitive salaries with equity, healthcare, and professional development are offered.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical Engineering or related field.
• Master's or Ph.D. preferred with combustion-related specialization.
• 4+ years in combustion research, propulsion, or thermal-fluid sciences.
• Strong fundamentals in combustion, fluids, thermodynamics and heat transfer.
• Experience designing and conducting combustion experiments.
• Experience analyzing experimental data and interpreting results.
• Proficiency with MATLAB, Python, or similar tools.
• Experience with laboratory instrumentation and high-speed data acquisition.
• Experience using CFD tools (ANSYS Fluent, STAR-CCM+, OpenFOAM).
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize combustion systems for engines and propulsion.
• Plan, execute, and analyze lab and engine combustion experiments.
• Investigate combustion dynamics and instability mechanisms.
• Perform thermal-fluid analyses to improve performance and emissions.
• Develop test plans and support rig and engine testing.
• Analyze large datasets with statistical methods and signal processing.
• Correlate experimental data with CFD simulations to improve design.
• Support root-cause investigations on performance and durability.
• Collaborate across engineering, manufacturing, and program management.
• Prepare reports and technical presentations for reviews.
• Participate in design reviews and advise combustor improvements.
• Support qualification, verification, and validation activities.
• Stay updated on emerging combustion technologies and fuels.

Skills

Combustion fundamentals

Fluid mechanics

Thermodynamics

Heat transfer

Turbulent reacting flows

Gas turbine combustion

Experiment design

Data analysis

MATLAB

Python

CFD

Instrumentation

Statistics

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering

Master's or Ph.D. preferred with specialization in Combustion, Fluid Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Aerospace Propulsion, or Thermal Sciences

Tools

ANSYS Fluent

STAR-CCM+

OpenFOAM

MATLAB

Python

Job description

Mach Industries, a defense technology company in San Luis Obispo, seeks a Combustion Engineer to research, design, test, and optimize advanced combustion systems for air-breathing propulsion and energy applications. The role requires experimental and CFD-driven work with cross-functional teams.

Required 4+ years in combustion or related fields; strong MATLAB/Python skills and CFD experience. Competitive salaries with equity, healthcare, and professional development are offered.