Sr Aerothermal Engineer

About the Team

Relativity’s Integrated Performance teams ensure that our products work across all systems and disciplines, from trajectory design to aerodynamics to reliability analysis and beyond. Our groups size the Terran R rocket, design its missions for customer success, reliability, and reusability, and ensure that every system on the rocket and ground is engineered correctly for the demanding environments of launch and entry.

Recently, we completed the preliminary design and analysis of Terran R including Relativity’s first-ever work on launch vehicle reusability, spanning advanced trajectory simulations, wind tunnel testing, and structures analysis, among many other projects.

• Develop and execute computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses to solve novel challenges in vehicle entry heating and supersonic retro propulsion
• Drive the design of major Terran R system elements – like fins, flaps, heat shields, and primary structure – to meet criteria for temperature and heating
• Guide and mentor responsible hardware engineers to ensure hardware meets aerothermal requirements
• Scope and develop aerothermal databases for ascent and entry, including uncertainty quantification, from multiple sources like CFD, empirical methods, and wind tunnel testing
• Size thermal protection systems (TPS) for flight
• Support re‑usable TPS material development and testing
• Mature Relativity’s tools for developing and communicating aerothermal data, including custom and commercial code, databases, and data processing tools

To be successful in this role, you should be self‑motivated, adaptable, and able to contribute significantly to a fast‑paced, integrated vehicle program. You should also be able to resolve ambiguity and drive projects to completion. Ideally, you have significant compressible flow, CFD, thermal analysis, and conjugate heat transfer experience as well as a proven track record completing projects successfully in a highly collaborative environment.

On a weekly basis, you will be performing analysis, developing software tools, and supporting design teams. You will also use your strong organizational skills to properly manage the documentation and communication of your actions, recommendations, and decisions.

• Undergraduate degree in engineering or related field
• 5+ years relevant experience
• Demonstrated proficiency in compressible flow and thermal analysis, preferably on entry vehicles
• Experience architecting and executing CFD workflows for external flow, preferably including engine plume simulation
• Experience solving cross‑disciplinary design problems on integrated vehicles
• Proficiency in Python and industry‑standard CFD tools like FUN3D and Star‑CCM+, including use of HPC clusters

• Graduate degree in engineering or related field
• 10+ years relevant experience across 2 or more program life cycles
• Experience with thermal protection system sizing & analysis using standard tools like FIAT, CHAR, MINIVER, or LAURA
• Experience with aerothermal instrumentation, wind tunnel and flight testing, validation and verification

Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and other job‑related factors. Relativity Space offers competitive salary and equity, a generous PTO and sick leave policy, parental leave, an annual learning and development stipend, and more!

$142,000 – $181,500 USD

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.