Senior Propulsion Engineer

The Senior Propulsion Engineer will be responsible for working directly on all aspects of the propulsion systems, from initial component and system sizing through specification, procurement, integration, test, and mission operations. You will regularly report to the Propulsion Lead on progress, as part of a joint propulsion team including the Mojave office.

Job Responsibilities:

• Lead and support the design of new propulsion systems for spacecraft
• Coordinate between program management and other spacecraft subsystems to assess design progress, schedule, and risks
• Create conceptual and detailed designs of hypergol-based propulsion systems including tanks, valves, instrumentation, engines, and pressurization systems.
• Perform high-level trade studies of the propulsion system to incorporate it into the flight vehicle architecture and integrate with other subsystems including structures, GNC, thermal, integration & test, and mission operations.
• Build and run propulsion system fluid-thermal models to guide design and operational decisions
• Supplier management including developing specifications for vendor supplied components, providing technical review of manufacturing processes, and assuring requirements are met via test and/or analysis
• Create integration instructions, and provide support during spacecraft assembly in the cleanroom
• Contribute to technical readiness and safety reviews for testing activities
• Write mission operations procedures and provide real time mission operations support
• Write and present technical reports
  

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Experience (8+ years) in propulsion system design, analysis, manufacture, integration, and test
• Senior-level experience with hypergolic propulsion systems
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate a technical team aligned to a common goal
• Knowledge of propulsion system architecture, best practices, components, and suppliers
• Experience with fluid system design and analysis software
• Decision making with informed risk to properly balance quality, cost, and schedule
• Component specification, vendor management, and requirements verification for components as valves, pressure vessels, pumps, thrusters, instrumentation
• Ability to drive technical rigor in engineering design and verification to meet quality requirements
• Performance of risk assessment and management processes
• Prioritization of safety for people and equipment
• Familiarity with systems engineering processes
• Familiarity with propulsion system and spacecraft cleanliness standards

Desired Skills & Qualifications:

• Experience with space and / or lunar systems, environments, and design considerations.
• Experience with hypergolic fluids handling and safety (hands-on preferred)
• Familiarity with cryogenic propellants
• Specific expertise in commercial software packages for fluid-thermal modeling including Thermal Desktop and Amesim
• Analytical/scientific programming (Python, C/C++, Matlab, Fortran)
• Computational Fluid Dynamics (specifically Ansys FLUENT or CFX)
• Familiarity with aerospace standards
• Familiarity with explosive hazard calculations
• Knowledge of propellant mixing, temperature control, and combustion chemistry
• Understanding of pressure vessel specifications and requirements
• Knowledge of Range Safety and Ground Safety requirements, and system safety processes
• Test facility design, assembly, and operation