Fluids Analyst

The role

You will own fluids prediction by building models, performing analysis, and managing data for fluid systems. You will work on the full lifecycle from early system models to correlating test data for flight.

What you will do

• Own the full lifecycle of fluids prediction and data.
• Build and maintain 1D fluid network and transient system models.
• Perform early-phase simulation and trade studies.
• Predict flow capability and pressure budgets across the system.
• Analyze transient behavior.
• Perform CFD analysis of valves, manifolds, and other internal-flow components.
• Perform thermal-fluid analysis including two-phase and cryogenic behavior.
• Define instrumentation and measurement requirements.
• Support component-level and system-level test campaigns.
• Own reduction and analytics of fluids test data.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience performing fluid system analysis for flight vehicles, propulsion systems, or other high-performance hardware.
• Strong fundamentals in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and heat transfer, including compressible flow, two-phase flow, and transient system behavior.
• Experience building 1D fluid network or transient system models with tools such as Flownex, AFT (Fathom/Arrow/Impulse), EASY5, GFSSP, Simulink, or equivalent in-house codes.
• Hands-on experience with commercial or open-source CFD (ANSYS Fluent, Siemens STAR-CCM+, or OpenFOAM) applied to internal flow problems.
• Proficiency with Python (NumPy, pandas) or MATLAB for model development, data reduction, and automation of analysis workflows.
• Experience reducing and interpreting real test data, including correlating analytical predictions against measurements.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Nice to have

• 10+ years of experience performing fluid system analysis for flight vehicles, propulsion systems, or other high-performance hardware.
• Direct experience with rocket engine, launch vehicle, or spacecraft propulsion fluid systems.
• Experience with cryogenic fluids (LOX, methane, hydrogen, nitrogen, helium), including chill-in, two-phase transients, and thermal stratification.
• Familiarity with real-fluid property libraries and equations of state (REFPROP, CoolProp, NIST data) and their limits of validity.
• Experience analyzing valves, regulators, injectors, or turbopump feed systems, including flow-force and stability behavior.
• Experience supporting propulsion hot-fire testing, cold-flow testing, or vehicle fill/drain operations with live analysis support.
• Experience building automated data pipelines or analytics tooling over large test datasets.
• Familiarity with uncertainty quantification, design of experiments, or statistical model calibration methods.
• Experience with structural or thermal FEA (ANSYS, Nastran, Abaqus) for coupled fluid-structure or conjugate heat transfer problems.
• Familiarity with relevant industry standards (AIAA S-080/S-081, ASME BPVC, SAE, and MIL-spec fluid system standards).

Benefits

• Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and eligible dependents
• 401(k) retirement savings plan
• Paid time off
• 10 paid holidays per calendar year
• Paid parental leave
• Relocation assistance if applicable
• Daily lunch in the office
• Fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks

Before you apply

• Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual, or eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

About the company

Cowboy Space Corporation is building the infrastructure for abundant, resilient space-based solar energy. The company is based in San Carlos, CA.