Senior Aerodynamics Engineer

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:  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.The Aerodynamics team shapes Relativity’s vehicle products by tackling intricate design challenges inherent to reusable launch vehicles
Drawing on a strong foundation in external and compressible flows, the team addresses a wide spectrum of aerodynamic challenges across all flight phases
Leveraging computational fluid dynamics (CFD), wind tunnel testing, reduced order modeling, and flight data, we take a proactive approach to supporting cross-disciplinary design initiatives
Our collaboration with hardware engineers further enables us to overcome design and integration hurdles, ensuring a seamless and efficient development process from concept and through launch.About the Role: As an Aerodynamics Senior Engineer, you will help drive the technical direction of Relativity’s products across the domains of Aerodynamics and Aerothermodynamics, focusing on external flow analyses using CFD, panel methods, and empirical methods
You will play a key role in shaping Relativity’s vehicle products and advanced technical analyses, including Terran R vehicle entry and reusability, and required simulation tools and methods
In short, you’ll determine how Relativity’s vehicles look and fly, leveraging a high degree of technical authority.You will collaborate with our design, propulsion, GNC, and dynamics teams to deliver aerodynamics design, test, and analysis projects on time, while meeting our technical requirements
A high degree of autonomy along with an ability to prioritize work in our fast-paced environment is required
Additionally, you will help build an outstanding vehicle engineering organization at the cutting edge of commercial aerospace.Here are some examples of projects you could be working on:Develop and execute CFD analyses to solve novel challenges in vehicle entry stability and controlValidate CFD approaches and establish CFD best practices for ascent and entry phases of flightScope and develop aerodynamics databases for ascent and entry including uncertainty quantificationDrive the design of major Terran R system elements – like fins, flaps, and primary structure – to meet criteria for control, stability, heating, and pressureMature Relativity’s tools for developing and communicating aerodynamics data, including custom and commercial code, databases, and data processing toolsGuide and mentor responsible hardware engineers to ensure hardware meets aerodynamics and system-level requirementsSuccess in this role requires self-motivation, adaptability, and the ability to contribute significantly to a fast-paced, integrated vehicle program
You should be able to resolve ambiguity, identify what matters, and drive projects to completion
Ideally, you have significant compressible flow, CFD, and High-Performance Computing (HPC) experience as well as a proven track record for 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.About You:  A graduate degree in engineering or related field, and 5+ years relevant experienceDemonstrated proficiency in compressible flow and CFD, preferably on entry vehiclesExperience architecting and executing CFD workflows for external flowExperience solving complex problems on integrated vehiclesProficiency in Python and industry-standard CFD tools like FUN3D, Pointwise, and Star-CCM+, including use of HPC clustersNice to Haves, but Not Required:  10+ years relevant experience across 2 or more program lifecyclesExperience developing simulation toolsets and workflows, e.g., performing CFD validation studies and establishing CFD best practicesAt Relativity Space, we are committed to transparency and fairness in our compensation practices
Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and other job-related factors.Compensation is only one part of our total rewards package
Relativity Space offers competitive salary and equity, a generous PTO and sick leave policy, parental leave, an annual learning and development stipend, and more! To see some of the benefits & perks we offer, please visit here.Hiring Range:$137,000—$174,000 USDWe 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.