Posting/External Job Title
Propulsion Staff Engineer - Thruster Systems
Location
Houston, TX 77058 US (Primary)
Remote/Onsite/Hybrid
100% Onsite
Job Type
Full-time
# of Hires Needed
1
Education
Bachelor's Degree
Travel
None
Security Clearance Required
None
Pay Range (All offers will be based on experience)
$145,000.00 - $220,000.00/yr
Position Introduction/Key Duties
Cimarron is seeking an experienced
Propulsion Staff Engineer - Thruster Systems to own the end-to-end technical execution of a bipropellant thruster from requirements definition through design, build, integration, test, and flight readiness. You will lead cross-functional teams and suppliers to deliver to aggressive cost and schedule targets while maintaining safety and configuration discipline. The ideal candidate combines deep hands-on propulsion hardware experience with strong technical leadership, clear communication, and a bias for execution. This is an onsite position located in Houston, TX.
Key Duties:- Own the end-to-end technical execution of bipropellant thruster assemblies including combustion chambers, injectors, nozzles, igniters, and associated valves/instrumentation - from requirements through, design, build, integration, test and flight readiness.
- Serve as a subject matter expert in thruster design, providing technical authority on system architecture, sizing, fluid/thermal/structural analyses, materials/manufacturability, and performance optimization across the full development lifecycle.
- Perform detailed modeling, analysis and simulation of thruster assemblies using tools such as ANSYS, Fluent, TDK, CEA, etc to evaluate combustion performance, thermal effects, structural margins and transient behaviors.
- Perform component sizing and selection for thruster assemblies, ensuring compatibility with performance, thermal, structural, safety and compatibility requirements.
- Design, plan and execute thruster development, qualification, and acceptance test campaigns define instrumentation requirements, execute test planning and perform data correlation to anchor and validate analytical models.
- Lead and participate in internal and external design and gate reviews, trade studies, and subassembly integration activities; ensure compliance with system requirements and program milestones.
- Coordinate and manage technical requirements and design verification activities with external vendors and suppliers, interface on cost, schedule, design, manufacturing, and acceptance.
- Lead and participate in trade studies, component selection, and subassembly design and integration analyses in support of thruster development programs.
- Provide technical mentorship and guidance to less experienced engineers.
- Responsible for delivering against performance, safety, cost, and schedule targets.
Required/Desired Skills, Experience, and Education
Required Skills, Experience, and Education:- Due to facility security requirements, only U.S. citizens or permanent residents are eligible for consideration at this time.
- Ability to complete a pre-employment background check and drug screening, which will include but is not limited to testing for marijuana use.
- Must be willing to work evenings and weekends as needed to meet critical project milestones.
- 10 or more years of relevant experience in spacecraft or launch vehicle propulsion, with demonstrated depth in thruster or liquid rocket engine design and development.
- Significant hands-on experience with engine/thruster design, development, qualification, and integration - including injectors, combustion chambers, nozzles, igniters, and thermal management interfaces.
- Expertise in combustion, thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid dynamics with demonstrated application to thruster performance and thermal analysis.
- Experience developing and executing test campaigns including test planning, instrumentation selection, and data correlation.
- Propulsion component experience spanning valves, filters, regulators, manifolds, and instrumentation interfacing with thruster assemblies.
- 3D modeling software experience: SolidWorks preferred.
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related Engineering discipline required; advanced degree preferred
Resumes should list employment dates in month/year format (e.g., January 2020 - March 2024) for each position to meet customer and contract documentation requirements.
