Darwin Recruitment are currently hiring for a Hybrid Propulsion Leader in Naples.

Reporting to the Chief Scientific Officer, you will be responsible for the design of the company’s hybrid rocket engine test model and the development of new concepts to bring the launcher to life. You will also contribute to internal R&D activities for all applications including in-space propulsion.

Your key responsibilities

* Lead the design of the companies newest firing test model, from Phase A to manufacturing readiness and further, to lead to performance improvement of the propulsion for launchers and in-space systems, also writing the test plan for this research model.

* Build and improve 0D and 1D thermo-mechanical behaviour models to predict operating regimes and identify critical areas, backing this work with flow heat transfer analysis and CFD.

* Collaborate closely with leading research organisations such as CIRA, ONERA (FR), and DLR (DE) for the modelling and prediction of combustion regimes found in hybrid rocket engines, at the forefront of research in this field.

* Study and model advanced physical phenomena such as engine dynamics, combustion instabilities, fuel grain pyrolysis, regression improvement techniques.

* Conduct sensitivity analyses on key design features of the architecture and define test specimens to advance performance modelling verification.

* Collaborate closely with engineering teams (systems, materials, mechanics, propulsion) in both offices (IT and FR) to integrate your results into product design.

Experience

* At least 3 years of experience, ideally on similar projects.

* Experience in the analysis of a hybrid rocket engine.

* Experience with both a research environment and a system development project.

* Engineering degree in Aerospace or PhD on hybrid rocket propulsion.

* Mastery of internal combustion processes relevant for hybrid rocket propulsion (diffusion-limited combustion theory, atomisation, erosive combustion).

* Understanding of complex physical phenomena: pyrolysis, ablation, coupled heat transfer

* Applied knowledge of 0D / 1D thermo-mechanical analyses.

* Knowledge of FEM methods (SimCenter) and/or CFD (StarCCM+).

* Knowledge of measurement methods in use in rocket propulsion. Experience with optical access appreciated.

* Sensitivity to safety processes applied to space propulsion.

* Analytical skills, scientific rigor, and ability to report in traceable technical documentation.

* Comfortable with project management and Agile frameworks.

* Professional English required. Italian and/or French appreciated.

Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

James Godfrey