Propulsion Engineer - Design, build, and fire solid rocket motors for interceptor platforms
El Segundo, California | On-site
Opportunity Summary
Help design, build, and test the solid rocket motor for two interceptor platforms. You will own motor components and test campaigns from design through static fire, reporting to the senior propulsion engineer, who will review your work and support your development.
You will collaborate closely with mechanical, avionics, GNC, and aerodynamics engineers. At this stage, you will get far more hands-on time with real motors than you would at a large defense prime.
About Us
We are a seed-stage, venture-backed defense technology company building affordable, modular interceptors for air and missile defense, with surface-launched and space-based platforms in development. The team has already demonstrated autonomous intercepts and is moving quickly from prototype hardware into flight testing from our South Bay facility. We are a small group of engineers and operators who design, build, and test in-house, with a clear path toward scaled production for government customers.
Job Duties
- Design motor hardware such as nozzles, igniters, closures, insulation, and case components with guidance from the senior propulsion engineer
- Create CAD models and fabrication-ready drawings
- Run internal ballistics, thermal, and structural analyses to support design choices
- Prepare and execute static fires, pressure tests, and temperature-conditioned tests
- Design and build test fixtures, plumbing, and instrumentation including pressure transducers, load cells, thermocouples, and high-speed cameras
- Configure data acquisition, reduce test data, and compare results to predictions
- Source parts from vendors and machine shops and inspect incoming hardware
- Follow and improve procedures for handling, storing, and testing energetic materials
- Support test campaigns at external ranges and energetics facilities
- Support motor integration with mechanical and avionics, plus flight test data collection and post-flight analysis
- Present your work in design reviews
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in aerospace, mechanical, or chemical engineering, or a related field
- 2+ years with propulsion hardware or high-pressure systems (student rocketry and similar teams count)
- Working knowledge of rocket propulsion fundamentals including internal ballistics, combustion, and heat transfer
- Solid CAD skills with parts, assemblies, and drawings
- Hands-on test experience such as instrumentation, data acquisition, or test operations
- Python or MATLAB proficiency for analysis
- U.S. Person status required (ITAR) and ability to obtain a U.S. security clearance
Preferred Experience
- Solid rocket motor design, manufacturing, or static fire experience
- NAR or Tripoli high-power rocketry certification
- Familiarity with solid propellant chemistry or casting
- High-speed DAQ, strain gauges, and high-speed imaging
- Hands-on machining, plumbing, and fixture fabrication
- Propulsion analysis tools such as CEA, internal ballistics codes, or CFD
Why Join Us
- Frequent hands-on motor builds and static fires
- Direct mentorship from a senior solid motor engineer
- Ownership of real components and test campaigns early in your career
- Work across every discipline on the vehicle
- Early equity in a seed-stage company with a rapidly growing team
- Mission with direct national security impact
Compensation Details
$100,000 - $135,000 + equity
