Telecommut
We are supporting a fast-moving launch company developing next-generation rocket vehicles from concept through flight. The team is building at an early-stage, 0-to-1 phase, so this role suits someone who enjoys ambiguity, ownership, and working closely with propulsion, vehicle, test, and systems teams.
The Role
You will support propulsion system analysis across liquid rocket engine and/or vehicle-level propulsion architecture, helping drive design decisions through modelling, simulation, trade studies, and performance evaluation.
Responsibilities
- Perform propulsion system analysis for launch vehicle and rocket engine development
- Build and maintain models for engine performance, fluid systems, thermodynamics, and vehicle-level propulsion behaviour
- Support trade studies across engine cycle, propellant selection, feed systems, pressurisation, cooling, and performance margins
- Analyse test data from component, subsystem, and integrated propulsion testing
- Work closely with propulsion design, test, GNC, structures, and systems engineering teams
- Support requirements definition, verification planning, and design reviews
- Identify performance risks, sensitivities, and opportunities for optimisation
- Contribute to early architecture decisions in a 0-to-1 launch vehicle environment
- Experience in propulsion analysis, rocket engine performance, fluid systems, or launch vehicle modelling
- Strong understanding of thermodynamics, compressible flow, fluid dynamics, combustion, and propulsion fundamentals
- Experience with tools such as Python, MATLAB, Simulink, CEA, REFPROP, EcosimPro, Modelica, NPSS, or similar
- Exposure to liquid propulsion systems, pressurised systems, turbomachinery, feed systems, tanks, valves, or thermal management
- Comfortable working from first principles where processes and tools may still be immature
- Experience analysing hot-fire, component, or integrated system test data is highly valuable
- Aerospace, mechanical, propulsion, or related engineering degree preferred
- Launch vehicle or rocket engine development experience
- Early-stage startup or rapid development environment experience
- Experience with LOX/methane, LOX/RP-1, hydrogen, or storable propulsion systems
- Familiarity with system safety, verification, requirements, and design review processes
- Understanding of vehicle performance, trajectory impacts, and mass/performance trades
This is a hands-on analytical role in a highly iterative engineering environment. The right person will be technically strong, pragmatic, and comfortable influencing design decisions with imperfect data.
