This role is ideal for someone with deep expertise in aerothermal heating, ablative material response, and high-temperature thermal analysis - someone who can work across first-principles hand calculations, material response modeling, and detailed CFD to guide fast, high-consequence design decisions for systems where thermal survival is the critical constraint. Evaluate and select TPS materials, including carbon phenolic, PICA, silicone-based ablators, ceramics, and high-temperature composites, based on aerothermal loads, mass constraints, and manufacturability.