Senior Manager, Propulsion Design

VAST is seeking a Senior Manager of Propulsion Analysis  to lead and grow our multidisciplinary analysis team. This role will focus on advancing Vast’s structural analysis capabilities while also integrating fluid and thermal modeling into overall space station system performance. You will manage a team of analysts across structural, thermal, and fluid domains, set technical standards, and ensure models and simulations directly inform design decisions and certification. 

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership

• Manage and lead a team of up to 6 analysts, including hiring, mentoring, and technical development.
• Set standards for analysis methods, documentation, and best practices in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Expand company capabilities in analysis by validating and establishing methods and practices across structural, fluid, and thermal domains.
  
  

Structural Analysis

• Create and maintain FEA models of propulsion components to support design and certification.
• Define and review critical loads and load cases in collaboration with GNC, fluids analysis, dynamics/loads engineers and design teams.
• Mentor design and analysis engineers in analysis methods and validation via testing to review/approve component drawings with feedback.
• Partner with test engineering to plan and execute structural and dynamic tests, and perform associated analyses.
  
  

Fluids & Thermal Analysis

• Oversee multiphase propellant feed system and microgravity fluid behavior modeling, including vaporization, condensation, propellant acquisition and slosh dynamics.
• Guide high-pressure gas system analysis, transient flow behavior (e.g., water hammer, adiabatic compression), and thruster plume impingement studies.
• Support development and validation of propulsion fluid systems using best practices 
• Integrate simulation results with ground and flight test data to validate models and refine designs.
  
  

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with design, manufacturing, propulsion, thermal, and GN&C teams to ensure analysis informs critical decisions.
• Present technical findings at design reviews and contribute to NASA certification processes.
• Lead root cause investigations and corrective actions when issues arise.
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

• B.S. degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related Engineering field.
• 8+ years of relevant aerospace design and analysis experience.
• 2+ years of experience overseeing / managing a technical engineering or analysis team.
• Strong expertise in structural analysis, including FEA modeling, stress analysis, and load case development.
• Experience with thermo fluid analysis tools (CFD, 1-D system modeling, etc.)
• Knowledge of mechanical design, manufacturing processes, and design-for-manufacturability principles.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• M.S. or higher in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related Engineering.
• Experience in human spaceflight hardware design and analysis.
• Expertise in multiphase fluid dynamics, propellant management, and slosh modeling under low-gravity conditions.
• Experience with thermo-mechanical fatigue, fracture analysis, and spectrum loading fatigue analysis.
• Hands-on experience with high-pressure gas systems, transient fluid dynamics and heat exchangers.
• 5+ years of experience with liquid or gas  rocket engine combustion devices, including RCS design.
• Track record of leading multidisciplinary teams linking analysis predictions with test and qualification data to accelerate hardware development and certification.