RESEARCH ENGINEER - SR. RESEARCH ENGINEER - Propulsion System Engineer at Southwest Research Institute

Who We Are:

The Liquid Propulsion Team performs R&D to solve challenges and advance technologies in machinery and power systems with a focus on liquid propulsion systems. We support actual launch, landing, lunar, and orbital vehicles and ground equipment, ranging from high-g to 0-g and supercritical to cryogenic conditions. Our technologies are advancing state-of-the-art propulsion for space flight and are powering a cleaner future.

Objectives of this Role:

• Design, analysis, and testing for fluid, thermal, and machinery projects.
• Technical areas include propulsion and power energy systems with a focus on liquid propulsion applications for space launch vehicles, lander vehicles, satellites and orbiters.
• Contribute to projects for actual flight systems and ground support equipment as well as projects that deal with storable and cryogenic fluids.
• Contribute to projects that range from multiple g’s to zero g’s.
• Solve challenges on components and/or systems that span between the pressurant tanks, through pressurization systems, into the propellant tanks, down the feedlines, and out the engine nozzles.
• Work on diverse and flexible teams with our experts in feedline and pogo instability, slosh dynamics and control, microgravity propellant management, thermal management, and pressurization modeling.
• Prepare technical reports, papers, proposals, and presentations to support client deliverables, technical professional organizations and SwRI business development.
• We empower each other towards research areas of interest and career growth.

Daily and Monthly Responsibilities:

• Perform design and analysis tasks for fluid, thermal, and machinery projects using engineering software, in-house analytical toolsets, and existing knowledge from engineering standards, technical literature, and industry techniques
• Provide experimental test support for both component-level and system-level testing of propulsion and energy machinery
• Perform engineering and scientific research to support projects and advance the state-of-the-art.
• Interpret and present findings and results to project team and clients in a concise and clear way.
• Provide support to more than one project in a flexible and diverse team environment.
• Have and demonstrate a firm grasp of engineering and scientific disciplines and applied first principles.
• Learn new technical skills to complete project work.
• Occasionally assist other Machinery Department programs in related application areas, including air-breathing propulsion, oil & gas, combustion, renewable energies, and power generation.

Requirements:

• Requires a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related engineering degree with relevant experience.
• 2-10 years: Conduct fluid, thermal, and mechanical analyses using various software, such as flow network, computational fluid dynamics, or mechanical analysis solvers. Firm understanding of fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, aerodynamics, mechanics, materials, and/or heat transfer.
• 2-10 years: Design or analysis experience in space or launch vehicle propulsion systems. Experience and interest in the following other applications is desired, but not required: cryogenic fluids; microgravity fluids; guidance, navigation and control (GNC), mechanical design and fabrication.
• 2-10 years: Experimental test experience of fluid and thermal systems; including, designing, building, commissioning, operating, and analyzing data.
• MS or PhD degrees in engineering are preferred, but not required. Other skillsets desired, but not required: Computational programing/scripting (Matlab/Python); LabVIEW, PID control, and data acquisition; SolidWorks; ANSYS products.
• A valid/clear driver's license is required