Rocket Engine Specialist

The Propulsion Development Engineer role is responsible for taking hardware from concept through to flight operations, and everything in between. This includes performing design, analysis, development engineering, and flight operations tasks for Raptor engine propulsion systems.

Main Responsibilities:

• Performing design, analysis, development engineering, and flight operations tasks for Raptor engine propulsion systems
• Aligning resources to accomplish key objectives; assigning clear accountability for important objectives, and setting the performance bar at a high standard of excellence
• Enabling high launch cadence with unparalleled reliability through automated analysis of test and flight data; expanding existing capabilities and developing new algorithms to improve reliability and thoroughness of all flight processes
• Collaborating with engineers and technicians from most engineering disciplines to achieve successful and reliable engine performance in flight and during ground testing, and to continuously refine the designs and practices for increased reliability and reduced costs
• Supporting live test and flight operations in the role of primary console operator
• Exercising risk-conscious decision-making skills under high pressure across multi-disciplinary systems
• Supporting vehicle-level readiness and data reviews for the engine system
• Representing the engine system in the role of a responsible engineer to the rest of the vehicle, ground, customer, and administrative disciplines
• Developing test plans, and analyzing test results in support of test and flight operations
• Executing walkdowns, and supporting hardware troubleshooting in the field
• Implementing and maintaining rigorous hardware and software verification processes through practical application of automation and process controls
• Fully owning critical spaceflight hardware with profound responsibility
• Balancing competing priorities and several dynamic projects simultaneously, while assessing level of depth/accuracy needed for each task
• Pushing tasks to complete closure, with a burning sense of urgency and extreme ownership
• Pivoting and adapting quickly to changes in direction, schedule, priority, and/or level of depth as needed, to stay aligned with program's shifting needs
• Operating in a high-stress environment with grit and endurance

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline
• 1+ years of experience with pressurized fluid systems
• 1+ years of experience in hardware design, manufacture, assembly, test and/or flight

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Understanding of engineering fundamentals and the ability to perform basic analysis
• Demonstrable proficiency in the basic principles of compressible/incompressible flow, thermodynamics, and materials
• Experience developing hardware from concept to working prototypes, and refining the designs and operations to achieve robustness and autonomy
• Experience with engineering programming tools (Python, MATLAB, or similar)
• Liquid engine development experience, or experience working with pressurized fluid components such as valves and pneumatic systems
• Experience operating in a rapidly growing, changing and technical environment
• Ability to act and execute in a scrappy and entrepreneurial manner
• Familiarity with Starship engine and propulsion systems
• Familiarity with basic concepts of control systems

Additional Requirements:

• Willing to travel between CA and TX in support of test and flight operations and hardware development - up to 10%
• Willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed