About the RoleWe are looking for a Propulsion Components Engineer to own the design, development, and qualification of the hardware that makes up our propulsion system - valves, regulators, igniters, fluid piping, flex lines, Thrust Vector Control (TVC) actuators, thrusters and other fluid system components. This role is focused on deep, hands-on ownership of individual components: taking a component from requirements and first-principles design through detailed engineering, analysis, test, and flight qualification.
You will work primarily within the propulsion team, partnering with fluid systems, structures, manufacturing, and test to develop hardware that performs reliably under extreme pressure, temperature, and vibration environments. This is a highly technical role for an engineer who wants to deep dive into component-level design, analysis, manufacturing and testing. This is a role for someone who wants to solve hard, physics-driven design problems and own components end to end.
What You Will Do- Own the design and development of propulsion components, including valves, regulators, igniters, fluid piping, flex lines, TVC actuators, thrusters and other fluid system components
- Be accountable for component-level design from concept through detailed design, manufacturing, component test, and flight qualification
- Translate propulsion system requirements into component-level design concepts, detailed designs, and released hardware that meets functional, structural, thermal, and reliability targets
- Develop CAD models, detailed drawings, and release packages for components spanning prototype, development, qualification, and flight configurations
- Drive design-for-manufacture and design-for-assembly decisions specific to propulsion components, working closely with the manufacturing team on machining, brazing, welding, and additive processes
- Support component-level test planning, instrumentation, and post-test analysis to validate design assumptions and drive design iteration
QualificationsRequired- Experience in mechanical design and development of propulsion or other aerospace hardware
- Ownership of individual components from concept through detailed design, manufacturing, test, and qualification
- Proficiency in CAD and mechanical drawing creation, with the ability to generate clear, manufacturable, and well-controlled hardware definitions for precision components
- Ability to perform and interpret engineering analyses using a combination of first-principles calculations and FEA/CFD tools, with sound judgment on the level of analysis appropriate to the component
- Experience designing hardware for high-pressure, high-temperature, or cryogenic service
- Strong understanding of manufacturing processes relevant to propulsion hardware (machining, brazing, welding, additive manufacturing) and how design decisions affect producibility, cost, and quality
- Experience working with suppliers to source COTS components and manufacture in-house designed parts
- Ability to operate with ownership in a fast-paced, cross-functional hardware development environment
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related field
Preferred- Direct experience designing liquid or hybrid rocket propulsion components
- Hands-on experience with hot-fire or component-level propulsion testing, including instrumentation and post-test data analysis
- Familiarity with rapid design-build-test hardware development environments
- Advanced degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related field
