Sr. Propulsion Engineer (Raptor Flight)
$135,000–$215,000 year
On-siteHawthorne, California, United States
Job Summary
Conduct analysis, development engineering, and flight operations for Raptor engine propulsion systems, aligning resources to achieve high launch cadence and reliability. Operate as a primary console operator during live tests and flights, analyzing telemetry to establish engine health and troubleshoot anomalies while exercising risk-conscious decision-making under high pressure. Lead engineering reviews, drive trade analyses, and develop test and flight plans to validate engine systems and reduce costs. Fully own critical spaceflight operations, including hardware troubleshooting and field walkdowns, while balancing competing priorities with extreme ownership. Represent the engine system to vehicle, ground, and customer disciplines to refine designs for increased product reliability.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline with training in thermofluids area
- 4+ years of experience with liquid rocket engines or associated fluid systems
- Experience in hardware design, manufacture, assembly, test, or flight
- Willingness to travel between CA and TX or FL in support of test and flight operations and hardware development
- Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as needed
- Must be a U.S. citizen, national, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee (or eligible for required authorizations)
- Ability to pivot and adapt quickly to changes in direction, schedule, priority, and/or level of depth as required to stay aligned with program's evolving needs
- Demonstrable proficiency in the basic principles of compressible/incompressible flow, thermodynamics, and materials
- Experience developing hardware or operations from concept to working prototypes and refining the product to achieve robustness and autonomy
- Experience with engineering programming tools (Python, MATLAB, or similar) and hardware design tools (Siemens NX or similar)
- Familiarity with basic concepts of control systems
- Experience running engineering trade and risks reviews with senior leadership of the organization
- Passion for developing and following rigorous engineering processes designed to deliver reliability in a high-stakes environment
- Experience operating in a rapidly growing and evolving technical environment
- Ability to act and execute in a scrappy and entrepreneurial manner
- Professional liquid engine development experience
- Experience working with pressurized fluid components such as valves and pneumatic systems
- Experience working with high-temperature or combustion systems
Desired Qualifications
- Master's degree in mechanical engineering or aeronautical/astronautical engineering
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