Senior Thermal Analyst, Combustion Devices

Company Overview:

At Relativity Space, we have two audacious goals: to build the next great commercial launch company with Terran R and to become America's leading force in additive manufacturing innovation. Both contribute to our long-term vision of creating humanity’s industrial base on Mars, paving the way for interplanetary life to expand the possibilities of the human experience. This journey begins right here on Earth – where we design, build, and fly rockets to deliver customer payloads to orbit. Terran R, our medium-to-heavy lift reusable rocket, fulfills the growing demand for launch capacity, thanks to our iterative approach that accelerates design, testing, and development while minimizing costs. While our groundbreaking research and development in 3D printing pushes the boundaries of large-scale additive manufacturing. Your journey with us is more than just a job – it’s an opportunity to shape the future of aerospace technology, additive manufacturing, and the human experience alongside a community of passionate,
creative individuals. Join us on this extraordinary journey, as we work together to transform our vision into reality.

About the Team:

The Propulsion Engineering team at Relativity Space is responsible for engines that will power the Terran R launch vehicle. We own the design from concept through successful launch and reuse and we work with our partner teams to manufacture, test and integrate those engines. We’re developing these engines in record time, going from initial sizing point of the Aeon R engine in early 2022 to a successful integrated, full duration hot fire test in late 2023. Over the next year, we will test 3 iterations of Aeon R, our booster engine, culminating in qualification for flight, and test our first iteration or Aeon R Vac, our second stage engine. As a part of this team, you will help build, test and iterate on the full product lifecycle of our Aeon- R engine systems from concept through launch and reuse.

About the Role:

You will work as a part of the Combustion Devices team to directly contribute to the design and qualification of the Aeon-R combustion device hardware, from concept to detailed design and test. Your responsibilities will include performing, documenting, presenting thermal-structural and/or thermal-fluid analyses, and suggesting design changes for engine hardware ranging from injectors and thrust chambers to igniters. You’ll anchor your models to test data and working closely with designers to inform design paths and validate requirement compliance. This scope will involve single-component modeling as well the development of large-scale assembly models for quantifying subsystem interactions. In order to be successful in this role, you should be someone who thrives in ambiguity and be capable of leading collaborative projects to completion. You will have the opportunity to have a significant influence on major engine hardware and to make rapid professional gains in an environment that encourages growth and risk.

About You:

• Bachelor's degree in a science or engineering field
• 5+ years relevant experience conducting thermal/fluid/structural analysis
• Experience with analytical tools such as ANSYS Mechanical, Thermal Desktop, ANSYS Fluent, STAR-CCM+, or similar
• Experience applying engineering fundamentals in thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid-flow first principle

Nice to haves, but not required:

• Graduate degree in a science or engineering field
• Working knowledge of rocket engine subsystems such as combustion devices, turbomachinery, and/or valves
• Knowledge of thermal and structural failure mechanisms
• Exposure to powder bed additive manufacturing
• A strong commitment to accountability, collaboration, and execution
• An authentic, introspective, and inclusive mindset towards technical, interpersonal, and team growth & development

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.