[Hiring] Staff Thermal-Fluids Analysis Engineer @Ursa Major

Role Description

As a Staff Thermal-Fluids Analysis Engineer, you will support all our product design programs through a broad variety of fluid analysis techniques.

• Proficient in both CFD and steady-state and transient 1D (lumped parameter) fluid modeling.
• Exposure to all systems on our engines and the unique challenges each component presents.
• Leverage existing knowledge to solve difficult problems throughout an engine lifecycle.
• Assess the risk and performance of the hardware.
• Provide proactive feedback to our design team regarding improvements based on analytical results.
• Excited about solving problems on the edge of technical capabilities using deep understanding of fluids, thermodynamics, combustion, and simulation.
• Predict performance of rocket engine components including combustors, manifolds, and turbomachinery.
• Responsible for the technical growth of Ursa Major’s fluid analysis capabilities.
• Report to the Propulsion Analysis Team Lead.
• Use hand calculations and steady CFD to predict fluid behavior throughout the engine system and its components.
• Build steady-state and transient 1D models of our engines’ fluid systems.
• Identify potential design improvements and collaborate with other engineering teams.
• Work closely with our test team to request necessary instrumentation.
• Support anomaly investigations by building transient 1D fluid models.
• Ownership of fluid models of rocket engines and related systems.
• Improve upon Ursa’s analytical methods and seek out new approaches and tools.
• Provide professional development, mentorship, and technical guidance to peers.

Qualifications

• B.S. degree in Mechanical, Aerospace Engineering, or a comparable field.
• 5+ years of combined fluids analysis experience (CFD and 1D).
• Experience in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) using commercial codes (ANSYS Fluent or CFX preferred).
• Experience developing steady and transient 1D models of fluid system analyses.
• Knowledge of SINDA/FLUINT, FloCAD, AFT Arrow/Fathom/Impulse, Flownex, Flowmaster, GT-SUITE, or comparable lumped parameter analysis tools.
• Demonstrated experience in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and heat transfer.
• Programming experience (Python ideal, but MATLAB or other high-level languages acceptable).
• Basic experience with 3D CAD software (Creo and NX are ideal).
• Experience with complex fluid-mechanical systems.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, startup environment.
• Prior experience working on safety-critical systems in production environments.

Requirements

• M.S. or PhD degree in mechanical, aerospace engineering, or a comparable field (ideal).
• 10+ years of combined fluids analysis experience (CFD and 1D, ideally with heavy focus on specific applications).
• Experience using CFD to predict performance in at least one specialty area.
• Experience using 1D models of fluid systems to predict transient phenomena.
• Analysis of cryogenic fluid systems, high-pressure pneumatics, two-phase or supercritical fluid systems, and compressible flows.
• Professional experience in rocketry or turbomachinery.

Benefits

• Unlimited PTO - Vacation, Sick, Personal, and Bereavement.
• Paid Parental and Adoptive Leave.
• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance.
• Tax Advantage Accounts (HSA/FSA).
• Employer Paid Short and Long Term Disability, Basic Life, AD&D.
• Additional Benefit Options Including Voluntary Life and Emergency Medical Transport.
• EAP Program.
• Retirement Savings Plan - 401k with Company Match.
• Equity Grants in the Company.