Principal Engineer, Specialized Pump Applications (Space, Cryogenic & Extreme Environments)
We are looking for a Principal Engineer to extend our AxSTREAM software platform for space, cryogenic, and extreme-environment applications. In this role, you will close key physics-modeling gaps for these applications and apply that work to real pump design.
Why should you apply:
- Extend a real, established technical capability into space and extreme-environment applications
- Work at the intersection of physics modeling, software, and hands-on turbomachinery design
- Engage directly with clients already working on space and extreme-environment pump applications
Responsibilities:
- Identify and close physics-modeling gaps in AxSTREAM for space and extreme-environment pump applications (cavitation in microgravity, cryogenic/non-standard fluids, extreme temperatures, vacuum conditions)
- Apply improved modeling to real pump and component design — sizing, configuration trade-offs, materials, manufacturability
- Assess and build out validation data through client relationships and public/academic sources
- Work with clients and the software team to shape the technical roadmap for this work
- Support technical proposals and client engagements as this work grows
Minimum Qualifications:
- PhD in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering, Fluid Dynamics, or related field, plus 5+ years of relevant experience in CFD/turbomachinery modeling — or MS with 10+ years of directly relevant hands-on experience
- Hands-on CFD and turbomachinery modeling experience, with the ability to validate or extend numerical models directly
- Real pump or turbomachinery design experience — not modeling alone
- Direct experience with cryogenic fluids, two-phase flow, or other extreme-condition fluid dynamics
Preferred Qualifications:
- Direct experience with cryogenic turbopumps or liquid rocket propellant systems (LOX, LH2, methane, or similar)
- Experience with cryogenic systems in adjacent fields — fusion magnet cooling, cryogenic equipment design, high-vacuum systems, LNG, hydrogen infrastructure, industrial gas, or semiconductor vacuum systems
- Peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations (AIAA, ASME Turbo Expo), or patents
- Prior experience at a national lab, aerospace propulsion group, or fusion energy company
Job Type: Full-time Location: Boston, MA or Bristol, UK