Propulsion Engineer III (Engine Performance)

ABOUT FIREFLY AEROSPACE

As an end-to-end responsive space transportation company, Firefly Aerospace is on a mission to enable our world to launch, land, and operate in space – anywhere, anytime. Our launch vehicles, lunar landers, and orbital vehicles provide government and commercial customers with full mission services from low Earth orbit to the surface of the Moon and beyond. Headquartered in north Austin, Texas, Firefly is looking for passionate, hardworking innovators to join our team and help fuel our successful trajectory into space.

SUMMARY

Firefly seeks a highly talented Propulsion Analysis Engineer to join our growing analysis team. As a Propulsion Analyst for Advanced Programs, you will use your expert knowledge in fluids, thermal, and propulsion analysis to verify and influence designs of component and propulsion system hardware. This role will play a key part in this group by contributing to the overall development of the propulsion simulation infrastructure. Propulsion analysts are involved throughout the engineering process and therefore require excellent interdisciplinary communication skills.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Perform initial system sizing and architecture trade studies of advanced liquid propulsion system concepts

Perform detailed steady state and pseudo-steady state propulsion system analysis

Work closely with multi-disciplinary propulsion and systems engineering teams to define the operating conditions and control systems of Firefly’s engines

Responsible for data reduction activities to characterize propulsion system performance with an emphasis on automating several portions of this workflow

Develop well documented codes or procedures for performing thermal and fluid analyses, and postprocessing test results

Sit on console for engine checkouts and hotfire testing as the performance representative

Responsible for updating and correlating models based on test and flight data

Evaluate analysis and test results to quantify sensitivities and uncertainties, calibrate simulations, and develop design recommendations

Maintain and report on activity, schedule, and technical status

Document analysis and test results for review by responsible engineers, peers, customers, and launch authorities

Responsible for reviewing the analysis of peers and mentor less experienced engineers.

Work with responsible engineers to determine instrumentation setup for testing and contribute to the creation of test plans

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

BS degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering or related field and 5+ years of experience in mechanical or aerospace engineering

5+ years of experience in an engineering software environment

Proficient in the physics of thermo-fluid systems, including compressible and incompressible flow, thermodynamics, multiphase flow, chemical kinetics, mechanics, and transient phenomena

Programming experience with Python or MATLAB for model development and scripting (preferably Python)

Experience in data reduction and model validation techniques with test data

Familiarity with modeling in Windows environments, as well as with source code control systems such as Bitbucket

Desired

MS/PhD degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering and/or 8+ years of experience

Experience with industrial CFD tools such as ANSYS or Fluent

Experience with industrial finite element tools such as ANSYS, ABAQUS, FEMAP, or NASTRAN

Experience with ROCCID, RTE, CEA, TDK, SINDA/FLUINT, ROCETS, GFSSP, or equivalent and general industry-standard propulsion design and analysis codes

Experience with coupled loads analysis or thermal environments analysis

Experience in analysis of aircraft or space vehicles during all phases of conceptual design through flight

Familiarity with parametric optimization techniques

Knowledge of statistical principles (Monte Carlo, regression, Kalman filtering)

Experience with database development and management

Firefly offers outstanding benefits for our employees, including generous health, dental and vision plans with low plan deductibles, parental leave, educational reimbursement, short term disability, and flexible PTO options.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Firefly is governed based on 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