Principal Turbo Hydrodynamicist

Cowboy Space Corp. is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our satellites operate in Low Earth Orbit to collect sunlight and enable a new class of capabilities—from powering on-orbit compute, to transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), powering on-orbit compute to delivering secure, high-bandwidth optical data. By rethinking how energy and data are generated and distributed in space, we’re unlocking entirely new ways to operate both in orbit and on Earth.

Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt (co-founder of Robinhood), Cowboy Space Corp. is backed by leading investors and built by a team from top aerospace and defense organizations. We’re moving quickly to solve complex technical challenges and build a new category of space infrastructure.

About the Role

This is a high ownership role on a fast moving team! You will own the hydrodynamic design of the rocket engine's turbopumps: driving the engine- and vehicle-level design trades, predicting head, flow, efficiency, and suction margin across the operating box, following the hardware from concept through build, and proving its performance on the test stand. This includes inducers, impellers, diffusers and volutes, inlet and discharge flowpaths, the internal leakage and cavity flow network, and the axial thrust balance.

Responsibilities

• Own pump primary and secondary flowpath hydrodynamic design from concept through qualification.
• Drive hydrodynamic design for maximum efficiency and suction performance while meeting head-rise, axial thrust, and rotordynamic requirements.
• Ensure hardware meets performance across the full operating box—start transients, deep throttle, off-nominal inlet NPSH, and repeated cycles.
• Lead hydrodynamic analysis (meanline/throughflow, single- and multiphase CFD) and validate against powerpack and engine test data.
• Define and execute pump test campaigns.
• Work directly with manufacturing to iterate quickly and resolve fabrication and assembly issues.
• Support hot-fire operations, anomaly investigation, and post-test hardware inspection and design iteration improvement cycles.
• Develop tools and best practices for the rest of the organization.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related engineering field.
• 12+ years of experience in turbomachinery hydrodynamic or aerodynamic design and analysis for flight hardware or high-performance rotating machinery.
• Experience with pump sizing, specific speed and suction specific speed selection, blade and passage geometry definition, and material selection for pumped-fluid compatibility.
• Experience with secondary flow and axial thrust analysis—leakage and cavity flow networks, balance piston, thrust piston, and wear ring sizing, seal and bearing coolant circuits, and net thrust balance across the operating box.
• Hands-on experience taking rotating hardware from design through build and test.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with liquid cryogenic rocket engine turbopumps or reusable propulsion systems.
• Strong background in cavitation and suction performance, including thermodynamic suppression head and cavitation instabilities.
• Experience with turbine aerodynamics—nozzle and blade row design.
• Experience integrating hydro, aero, secondary flow and/or thrust balance results with rotordynamics and structural teams.
• Familiarity with cryogenic fluids and/or high-speed, high-power-density rotors.
• Proficiency with CFD and meanline/throughflow tools and ability to correlate to real-world test data.
• Experience mentoring or leading engineers.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $170,000 – $245,000 annually. The actual base salary offered will depend on factors such as job-related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

• Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.
• Employees and their eligible dependents may enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement savings plan
• Paid time off
• 10 paid holidays per calendar year
• Paid parental leave
• Relocation assistance if applicable
• Daily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks

ITAR Requirements

• Export Control Requirement: To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here https://deccs.pmddtc.state.gov/deccs.

Disclaimer

This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at Cowboy Space Corp.’s discretion.

Cowboy Space Corp. is an equal employment opportunity employer. We consider individuals for employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities and experience. Cowboy Space Corp. is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, physical, mental or developmental disability, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions relating to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), veteran status, military status, marital or registered domestic partnership status, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.