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Director Cfd Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Inversion

Staff Aerothermal CFD Methods Engineer

Vista, CA · On-site

$161K - $221K/yr

As the Staff Aerothermal CFD Methods Engineer, you will build and extend the computational tools ... Direct experience with US3D, including extension through user-defined subroutines * Experience with ...

Bloom Energy

Principal Engineer - CFD/Thermal

San Jose, CA · On-site

$176K - $253K/yr

This role will report to Sr. Director, Development Engineering. Location: This position will be fully Onsite based in San Jose, CA Role and Responsibilities: * Lead and conduct CFD/Thermal studies ...

Mainspring Energy

Staff CFD Modeling Engineer

Menlo Park, CA · On-site +1

$160K - $190K/yr

... the direct assessment of proposed designs or to inform lower order models that describe system ... Run commercial CFD software to analyze transient gas flow, chemical kinetics, and heat transfer. To ...

Socket.dev

Staff CFD Modeling Engineer

Menlo Park, CA · On-site

$150 - $230/hr

... the direct assessment of proposed designs or to inform lower order models that describe system ... Run commercial CFD software to analyze transient gas flow, chemical kinetics, and heat transfer. To ...

Ring Inc

Staff CFD Modeling Engineer

Menlo Park, CA · On-site

$160 - $190/hr

... the direct assessment of proposed designs or to inform lower order models that describe system ... Run commercial CFD software to analyze transient gas flow, chemical kinetics, and heat transfer. To ...

Mainspring Energy

Staff CFD Modeling Engineer

Menlo Park, CA · On-site

$160K - $190K/yr

... the direct assessment of proposed designs or to inform lower order models that describe system ... Run commercial CFD software to analyze transient gas flow, chemical kinetics, and heat transfer. To ...

Belcan

Aeroelasticity- Staff Analyst

Brisbane, CA

$140K/yr

Contract-to-Hire or Direct Hire Start Date: ASAP Keywords: #Brisbanejobs; #Aeroelasticityjobs ... The Aerodynamics Analyst (Analyst level) owns compressor blade (mid/last) CFD/analysis and ...

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Director Cfd information

What is a director CFD?

Directors of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) are senior professionals responsible for overseeing CFD teams and projects within organizations, often in industries such as aerospace, automotive, or engineering. They manage the development and implementation of CFD simulations to analyze and solve complex fluid flow and thermal problems. Their role includes leading research initiatives, ensuring technical quality, mentoring team members, and coordinating with other departments to meet project goals. Directors of CFD also play a key part in strategic planning and may be involved in client interactions and business development.

What are some common challenges faced by a director CFD in managing cross-functional teams?

As a Director of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics), one common challenge is effectively coordinating between multidisciplinary teams, including engineers, software developers, and project managers. Balancing competing project priorities while ensuring CFD simulations are accurate and delivered on time often requires strong communication and organizational skills. Additionally, staying current with rapidly evolving simulation technologies and integrating new tools into existing workflows can be demanding. Successful Directors foster collaboration, provide strategic direction, and support professional development within their teams.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a director CFD, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Director of CFD, you need advanced expertise in fluid dynamics, numerical modeling, and simulation techniques, typically backed by a graduate degree in engineering or a related field. Proficiency in CFD software such as ANSYS Fluent, OpenFOAM, and experience with high-performance computing environments is essential. Strong leadership, project management, and effective communication skills set exceptional candidates apart in this strategic role. These abilities are crucial for driving innovation, ensuring technical excellence, and leading multidisciplinary teams toward successful project outcomes.

What is the difference between Director Cfd vs CFD Engineer?

AspectDirector CfdCFD Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Engineering, Management experienceBachelor's or Master's in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering
Work EnvironmentLeadership, project oversight, strategic planningDesign, simulation, analysis using CFD software
Industry UsageManagement roles in aerospace, automotive, energyTechnical roles in similar industries

The main difference is that the Director Cfd oversees CFD projects and teams, focusing on strategy and management, while the CFD Engineer handles technical simulation work. Both roles require engineering credentials, but the Director Cfd emphasizes leadership and project oversight, whereas the CFD Engineer concentrates on technical CFD analysis.

What are the most commonly searched types of Cfd jobs in California?

The most popular types of Cfd jobs in California are:

What are popular job titles related to Director Cfd jobs in California?

For Director Cfd jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Director Cfd jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Director Cfd jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Director Cfd jobs?

Cities in California with the most Director Cfd job openings:

Director Cfd jobs near you
Infographic showing various Director Cfd job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 2% As Needed, 85% Full Time, 10% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution.

Staff Aerothermal CFD Methods Engineer

Inversion

Vista, CA • On-site

$161K - $221K/yr

Full-time

Posted 14 days ago

Job description

Turning Space into a Transportation Layer for Earth
Who We Are:
Inversion builds advanced reentry systems to deliver next-generation capabilities from space.
Our mission is to make Earth radically more accessible by turning Low-Earth Orbit into an on-demand logistics domain. We see space not as a destination, but as a platform - one that unlocks unprecedented speed and global reach.
Our spacecraft are designed to deliver payloads anywhere on Earth in under an hour, operating through extreme reentry conditions and landing with high precision. These systems open the door to new ways of testing, delivering, and operating at hypersonic speeds.
Inherently dual-use, our technology is built to meet urgent national security needs while laying the groundwork for future commercial applications. Backed by leading investors including Y Combinator, Spark Capital, and Lockheed Martin Ventures, and working with partners such as the U.S. Space Force and NASA, Inversion is pushing the boundaries of what's possible in space-based defense and logistics.
What You'll Do:
The aerothermal environments that Inversion's vehicles fly through push beyond what off-the-shelf analysis tools can characterize. As the Staff Aerothermal CFD Methods Engineer, you will build and extend the computational tools our aerothermal team depends on - developing new physics models, numerics, and solver capabilities rather than simply applying existing ones. A meaningful portion of this work will involve developing extensions to US3D. In this role, you will:
  • Build and extend the computational tools used to characterize the aerothermal environment around reentry vehicles
  • Develop, implement, and validate extensions to existing high enthalpy flow solvers, spanning physics models, numerical methods, and solver infrastructure
  • Implement and improve models of high-temperature gas dynamics, including thermochemical non-equilibrium and finite-rate chemistry including ablation products or other additional species present in flow
  • Develop multi-phase flow modeling capability with an emphasis on droplet interactions - atomization and breakup, evaporation, droplet-shock and droplet-surface interaction, and two-way coupling between dispersed and continuous phases
  • Verify and validate new capabilities against analytical solutions, ground test, and flight data
  • Work closely with production aerothermal analysts to harden new capabilities into reliable, documented tools
  • Mentor engineers across the aerothermal team

Required Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Physics, or equivalent experience in a related field
  • Typically, 9+ years of experience developing CFD methods and solver capabilities
  • Experience writing, extending or modifying high-enthalpy CFD solvers
  • Experience modeling high-temperature gas dynamics and chemistry, including thermochemical non-equilibrium
  • Experience modeling multi-phase flows with an emphasis on droplet interactions - such as spray atomization and breakup modeling for fuel injection systems, or coolant droplet modeling for turbine engines
  • Strong fundamentals in numerical methods for compressible flow, including finite volume discretization, shock capturing, and implicit solution methods
  • Proficiency in compiled scientific programming languages such as Fortran, C, or C++
  • Proven ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment, including prototyping and rapid iteration of new products
  • This position is on-site at Inversion HQ in Playa Vista, CA.
  • Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance.

Desired Qualifications:
  • PhD in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a related field
  • Familiarity with both Lagrangian and Eulerian approaches to particle tracking as well as experience with droplet breakup and dispersion models (e.g., KH-RT, TAB)
  • Experience with Fortran, particularly in the context of extending existing solver codebases
  • Direct experience with US3D, including extension through user-defined subroutines
  • Experience with plasma simulation for weakly ionized flows and / or experience with electromagnetic simulation
  • Experience with parallel scientific computing (e.g., MPI) on large-scale HPC systems
  • Prior experience working in startups and/or small independent teams

Our office headquarters is located in Playa Vista, CA. This position requires in-office presence.
The California annual base salary for this role is currently $161,000-$221,000. Pay Grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education and experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity.
ITAR Compliance:
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you 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 the ITAR here.
Equal Employment Opportunity:
Inversion provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or disability.
Inversion collects and processes personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws. If you are a US Job Applicant see the CCPA Privacy Policy Noticefor further details.

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