Senior Propulsion Analyst (Fluids)

Impulse Space; Redondo Beach (CA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, vision, and dental coverage

401(k) retirement plan

Stock options

Job summary

Impulse Space, located in Redondo Beach, is seeking a Senior Propulsion Analyst (Fluids) to analyze and design spacecraft propulsion fluid systems. This role involves performing fluid and thermal analyses on rocket engine systems, contributing to development processes, and providing mentorship.

The ideal candidate should possess a B.S. degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering and have 4+ years of experience in relevant fluid analysis, utilizing tools like Fluent and CFX. This position offers a competitive salary range of $135,000 to $185,000 per year.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience with fluid/thermal analysis on liquid propellant rocket engines.
• Experience with commercial software for fluid analysis.
• Basic 3D CAD software experience.

Responsibilities

• Analyze propulsion fluids systems and create clean sheet designs.
• Perform and document fluids and thermal analyses.
• Size propellant management devices using industry standards.
• Contribute to developing analysis processes and tools.

Skills

Fluid dynamics

Thermal analysis

CFD analysis

3D CAD software

Mentorship skills

Education

B.S. degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Fluent

CFX

NX

Python

SINDA/FLUINT

Job description

Compensation

$135,000 - $185,000 / year

Department

Propulsion

Location

Redondo Beach

Description

As a Senior Propulsion Analyst (Fluids) at Impulse, your core responsibility will be to analyze and create clean sheet designs of spacecraft propulsion fluids systems and components.

Responsibilities

• Perform and document fluids and thermal analyses of liquid propellant rocket engine, tanks and feed systems.
• Size propellant management devices (PMDs), baffles and/or screens with industry standard equations and techniques.
• Perform CFD analysis of internal flow geometries.
• Perform analysis of propellant tank phenomenon including zero- and micro-gravity fluid management, propellant slosh and propellant mass gauging.
• Assist with validation testing of internal tank propellant management devices (baffles, AVDs, bubble point screens, etc).
• Ensure model predictions are grounded through a practical hands-on approach.
• Contribute to developing analysis processes and tools to be used company wide. Achieve buy-in with key stakeholders and provide training for general use.
• Provide professional development, mentorship, and technical guidance to peers.

Minimum Qualifications

• B.S. degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or a comparable field.
• 4+ years of demonstrated experience with fluid/thermal analysis on liquid propellant rocket engines, rocket stages, spacecraft or similar high-performance systems.
• 4+ years of professional experience in fluid analysis with commercial software (e.g., Fluent, CFX, SINDA/FLUINT) and hand-calc methods.
• Basic experience with 3D CAD software (NX preferred).

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Advanced degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or a comparable field.
• Experience working in fast-paced, startup environment.
• Strong fundamentals in compressible & incompressible fluid mechanics and heat-transfer, including hand calculation methods.
• Advanced proficiency with a commercial CFD tool through all stages of the workflow (geometry prep, mesh generation, setup, convergence, post-processing).
• Familiarity with ANSYS CFX, ANSYS Fluent, and/or Star-CCM+.
• Familiarity with multi-phase fluid modeling and acceleration dominated fluid dynamics.
• Experience with anchoring CFD analysis to test or flight data.
• Experience with waterhammer and fluid network modeling (SINDA/FLUINT or other similar tools).
• Programming experience for creating analysis tools or performing hand-calcs. Python preferred. Matlab or other high-level languages acceptable.
• Experience in root-cause analysis.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Additional Requirements

• Flexible schedule and willing to travel as needed.

Additional Information

Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay are determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires you may also be eligible for long-term incentives in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.

Impulse Space’s spacecraft manufacturing business is subject to U.S. export regulations including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This position requires applicants to be either U.S. Persons (i.e., U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent U.S. resident (green card holder), an individual granted asylum in the U.S., or an individual admitted in U.S. refugee status) or persons eligible to obtain an export license from the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, or other applicable U.S. government agencies. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Impulse Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Impulse Space 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.