Propulsion Development Engineer - Fluid/ Thermal
About Portal
Portal Space Systems is on a mission to expand humanity’s freedom of movement in space. We’re building the spacecraft that makes that mission possible. From our Bothell, WA headquarters, we design vehicles with the maneuverability, resilience, and adaptability needed for the next era of orbital operations. Every system we build is in service of a simple idea: space should be more accessible, responsive, and capable. Joining Portal means stepping into a team that believes in bold engineering, fast iteration, and the power of small groups to change what’s possible. If you want your work to directly shape the future of in-space mobility, join us.
About the Role
We are hiring a Fluid/Thermal-focused Propulsion Development Engineer to advance thruster, feed system, and tank development. This role is responsible for high fidelity CFD (multiphase, phase change, conjugate heat transfer, slosh) and thermal analysis, developing fluid network models, and supporting component sizing across the feed system. This position works closely with fellow propulsion engineers and analysis experts to inform design trades, predict performance, and drive hardware development from conceptual trades through qualified hardware and flight.
Primary Responsibility – Fluid Analysis
- Develop high fidelity CFD models to support HEX Thruster and propellant tank development
- Model complex fluid behavior, including multiphase flow, phase change, and conjugate heat transfer, and tank slosh
- Build fluid network models of feed systems and utilize these for component sizing and controls development
- Complete first order hand calcs for simple problems and quick answers
- Support propulsion test campaigns with pre-test predictions, instrumentation planning, and post-test data reduction and model correlation
Secondary Responsibility – Thermal Analysis
- Predict transient temperature distributions internal to the HEX Thruster as driven by radiation in, re-radiation out, conduction internal to the thruster, and conduction to the bus
- Identify and design thermal control approaches of the thruster, including radiation absorption design, re-radiation mitigation, and conduction paths
What You Bring To Portal
- Strong foundation in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and heat transfer with the ability to apply first principals reasoning and quickly learn new modeling approaches.
- Ability to identify, within the role’s scope, high-impact technical problems and focus analysis efforts where they can most effectively reduce risk, improve performance, and accelerate hardware decisions
- Propensity to solicit and provide peer review, clearly and concisely document results, and communicate implications for the associated hardware
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, related field or equivalent.
- Experience developing complex CFD models and reduced order fluid/thermal hand calcs.
- Experience communicating analysis assumptions, results, and design implications.
Preferred Qualifications
- Proficiency with NX, STAR-CCM+, GFSSP, and Linux
- Experience with multiphase, conjugate heat transfer, and transient CFD modeling
- Experience with high geometric fidelity thermal modeling
- Experience using test data to correlate analytical models
ITAR Statement
Eligibility to access ITAR-controlled items requires that candidates be U.S. persons, which includes U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and other protected individuals as defined by U.S. law.
Employment is contingent upon verification of ITAR eligibility and, where applicable, obtaining any required export authorization or license.
Equal Opportunity Statement
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