Senior Thermofluids Analyst

While other companies talk about it, we do it!

NEUTRON

Rocket Lab’s Neutron team is responsible for bringing our new large rocket Neutron and its launch and test sites to life. From designing and testing Neutron’s structures and components, to firing up its new Archimedes engines, to setting up Neutron’s launch pads and test sites across the United States, joining the Neutron team is your opportunity to help launch a new large rocket for the very first time.

SENIOR THERMOFLUIDS ANALYST

We're looking for a Senior Thermofluids Analyst to join our Thermofluids Analysis team, responsible for all internal thermodynamics & fluids mechanics modelling & simulation across our Electron & Neutron vehicles.

This role is based in Auckland, New Zealand.

WHAT YOU'LL GET TO DO:

• Propellant
  • Own propellant delivery and management—covering temperatures and stratification, cavitation margin, transients, slosh, PMD design, settling, and in-space thermodynamics—and perform CFD of internal fluid systems (compressible and incompressible flow)
  • Address depletion, residuals, and utilisation control, and own tank pressurisation, including pressurant budgets, in-tank thermodynamics, and autogenous system sizing
  • Design RCS systems, including N2 budget, thruster specification, and flow modelling of valves and lines
• Thermal
  • Own system thermal design across ground, flight, and in-space operations, including TPS response, compartment thermals, insulation, and component thermal modelling
  • Perform heat transfer simulations (conduction, convection, radiation) and characterise thermal environments, developing design guidelines and mitigations
  • Model HVAC and cavity conditioning (flow/temperature specification, pressure drop, flammability, cleanliness, humidity) and support payload integration and customer ITAs
• Analysis & Data
• Work closely with design and test engineers to iterate design concepts, determine test requirements, and demonstrate positive margins through numerical analysis, and physical test
• Process and interpret ground test and flight data—confirming MPE bounds, detecting out-of-family results, and resolving sensor configuration issues

YOU'LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS:

• A degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or similar field
• 5+ years industry experience, ideally from the Aerospace, Automotive, or Marine industries
• A keen physics and first principles-based approach to problem solving
• Expertise with one or more industry standard CFD packages: Fluent, CFX, STAR-CCM+
• Experience in engineering programming, especially using Python (including Python packages numpy, pandas, scipy, matplotlib, etc.)
• Demonstrated ability executing to changing deadlines in a high-pressure and fast-paced work environment
• Experience in mentoring junior engineers

THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:

• Experience using NX CAD and Teamcenter packages (or comparable industry standard packages) with emphasis on model interrogation and defeaturing for subsequent analysis
• Experience with sensor selection and data post-processing/ interpretation (accelerometers, strain gauges, thermocouples etc.)
• Experience with one or more industry standard thermal modelling packages: Thermal Desktop, THERMICA, NX SST

If the Above sounds like you apply now!