Turbomachinery systems engineer

Overview

By joining Alpha Impulsion as a Turbomachinery system engineer in the Toulouse office, you will play a key role in the development of propellant feed systems for multiple iterations of our autophage rocket engines.

Reporting to the Technical Lead, you will be responsible for performing preliminary design of turbomachine power cycles for AMBER (current demonstrator) and GARNET (full-scale cryogenic launcher). This includes architecture trade studies of power generation for autophage fuselage insertion and oxidiser pressurisation, comparing designs of gas turbines and electromechanical solutions. You will then contribute to demonstrating the high performance of autophage propulsion, especially through testing.

Your first project here

Alpha Impulsion is finalising the development of a small-scale engine for AMBER as part of a major French national contract. Its goal is to derisk at small scale technologies to be used in systems for defence and in-space applications. You will embark on a young project, with the opportunity to build it from start to qualification and exploitation.

Your key responsibilities

• Perform comparative analysis of turbine and power transmission architectures, performance management by the definition of a multiphysics and empirical performance model, spanning a range of sizes, propellants and materials depending on the application and size of your autophage engines.
• Collaborate with the system engineering team, integrating your work within a model‑based system engineering logic with other engineering teams (systems, materials, mechanics, propulsion) in both offices (FR and IT).
• Define and manage performance budgets and perform mass impact studies in collaboration with other teams.
• Analyse technical risks: thermal and corrosive environments, destructive transients, gyroscopic interactions, lubrication difficulties, flight loads, etc. Take part in the development plan and testing methods.
• Anchor the performance model using test data from the current prototype and validate turbine preliminary sizing.
• Expand your work to turbines, pumps, gas generators, diffusers, injection, propellant management, and contribute in building the full engine cycle.

Required education, experience and skills

• Master's degree in aerospace or equivalent.
• Two years of experiences on turbomachinery design or similar project. Professional culture of turbomachinery for aerospace, design and manufacturing methods.
• Systems engineering methods, familiarity with MBSE appreciated.
• Applied knowledge of 0D / 1D flow line analyses and performance analyses, including bladed rotors. Ability to estimate the dynamic response of flow components and evaluate off‑design performance.
• Proficiency with EcoSimPro ESPSS or equivalent appreciated.
• Applied knowledge of rotor dynamics and dynamic sealing methods.
• Knowledge of turbomachinery testing methods.
• Ability to report in traceable technical documentation.
• Affinity with project management and Agile frameworks.
• Professional English required. Italian/French appreciated.

Compensation

Base salary negotiable based on experience. Additionally, competitive compensation package including meal vouchers, holidays vouchers, 75% public transport reimbursement (versus the usual 50%), sustainable mobility package “Forfait Mobilité Durable”, IT material compensation, team performance bonus. Flexible remote work organisation.