The propulsion systems thermal/fluid analysis engineer provides conjugate heat transfer and fluid flow analysis and test support of NASA propulsion systems such as the Space Launch System (SLS) and Human Landing System (HLS) as well as emerging technology development areas such as Cryogenic Fluid Management and Nuclear Thermal Propulsion.

Develop computational heat transfer and conjugate heat transfer with fluid flow models of propulsion system components and subsystems operating in terrestrial, space, and lunar surface environments.

Perform thermodynamic assessments of cryogenic propellant storage and transfer systems.

Review propulsion system analysis and test documentation delivered by program prime contractors for compliance with applicable standards and requirements.

Attend program milestone reviews to verify compliance to entry/exit/success criteria, document discrepancies, collaborate with prime contractors to develop corrective action.

Define thermal and/or thermal vacuum environment test requirements, develop test plans, process test data, and document results in test reports.

Validate computational analysis models using ground and flight test data.

Job Requirements:

A degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field is required. A degree from an ABET accredited institution preferred. An MS and/or PhD is preferred and is equivalent to two and six years, respectively, of professional practice. Five or more years of professional practice and licensure as an Engineer Intern or Professional Engineer are desirable. Typically, educational requirements are the equivalent of a minimum of a MS with at least 3 years of experience, or BS with at least 5 years of experience.

Required skills and experience:

Knowledge of heat transfer, mass transfer, fluid mechanics, and thermodynamic principals and applications.

Familiarity with computational methods for performing heat transfer and fluid flow simulations.

Effective technical writing and presentation.

Proficiency using Microsoft 365 applications.

Desired skills and experience:

Thermal/fluid model development in Thermal Desktop, GFSSP, COMSOL Multiphysics, Matlab/Simulink, and/or Ansys for steady state and transient solution.

Customized environment modeling using Fortran language routines in SINDA/FLUINT and/or GFSSP; Ansys Parametric Design Language.

Classical heat and mass transfer, fluid flow, and thermodynamics analysis techniques.

Finite element modeling using Ansys, Patran, or Femap.

Test and flight data processing and visualization using MS Excel, NASA WinPlot, Matlab, Python, etc.

Familiar with NASA, DoD, and industry standards and specifications.