TPS Material Response Engineer

TPS Material Response Engineer

The Exploration Company

Bordeaux, France

We want you as a talented TPS Material Response engineer to help us in our mission by evaluating and optimizing the thermal protection system design and performance of our vehicles to ensure their safe return to Earth.

You will work closely with our mechanical, thermal and CAD engineers to optimize together the vehicle design and performances. You will be part of the Vehicle Design Team and will report to the Principal Aerothermal Engineer and the Vehicle Design Lead. You will work in close collaboration with GNC, Design and AIT teams.

Key Responsibilities

As a TPS Material Response engineer, your role will continually evolve, with key responsibilities including:

• Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to integrate aerodynamic and aerothermal requirements into spacecraft design;
• Designing and optimizing thermal protection systems (TPS) to manage heat flux and maintain the spacecraft structural integrity especially during reentry;
• Performing sensitivity analyses and trade studies to evaluate the impact of design variables on reentry performance;
• Conducting plasma tests;
• Leading experimental campaigns for material characterization;
• Analyzing and interpreting data from tests and simulations to improve material models and TPS designs;
• Generating technical reports and presentations to communicate findings and recommendations to stakeholders;
• Developing and validating numerical models to simulate material response under reentry conditions;
• Supporting the development and qualification of new materials for TPS applications;
• Participating in design reviews and providing expert inputs on material response and thermal protection;
• Staying current with advancements in aerospace materials and thermal protection technologies through continuous learning and professional development.

What we would love to see from you

Qualifications:

• Advanced degree (Engineering diploma, Master of Science or PhD) in aerospace engineering, heat transfer and material behavior, or another related field;
• Experience with programming (Python, C++...);
• Strong knowledge on material response analysis;
• Knowledge of OpenFOAM;
• Experience in aerodynamic and aerothermal analysis is appreciated;
• Strong understanding of thermodynamics and heat transfer;
• Familiarity with spacecraft systems and reentry vehicle design concepts is highly desirable.

Skills and Behaviours:

• Fluent in English. Knowledge of German, Italian, and French is an asset;
• Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail;
• Effective and pedagogical communication, teamwork abilities;
• Strong oral and written communication skills;
• Strong analysis and problem-solving skills;
• Strong organizing and prioritization of tasks;
• Positive and flexible attitude to get the job done;
• Demonstrates behaviors consistent with The Exploration Company’s core values of Vision, Competence, Integrity and Passion.