Principal Propulsion Subsystem Engineer

Blue Canyon Technologies, RTX's small satellite manufacturer and mission services provider, is solving some of the toughest challenges in space. Our components and bus platforms have completed missions ranging from very-low Earth orbits to lunar and interplanetary journeys at a fraction of the cost of traditional space systems. We support premier defense, commercial and civil organizations including the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, NASA, MIT Lincoln Lab, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Colorado and more. Join our innovative and dynamic company as we build, test and operate the small spacecraft of the future.

Position Purpose: The Principal Propulsion Subsystem Engineer will be working in a team environment, with frequent opportunities for customer engagement, new business development, concept design, mission formulation, system analysis, and detailed design, analysis, integration, and test, plus on-orbit operations support. The Pr. Propulsion Subsystem Engineer will lead other propulsion subsystem engineers, as the functional manager as well as technical overseer.

Title: Principal Propulsion Subsystem Engineer

Position Type: Full Time

Pay Range: $108,000 - $220,000

(Salary to be determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data.)

Location: Lafayette, CO

Benefits:

• 100% company paid health, dental and vision benefits for you and your dependents effective the first of the month following hire date
• Life insurance
• 401k (matching 4% with a minimum 5% contribution)
• Generous PTO (3 weeks of vacation + 3 floating holidays, 2 weeks of sick time, 7 paid holidays throughout the year) and parental leave

Job Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership and functional management of the propulsion subsystem group (1-5 engineers), including performance evaluations, merit cycle assessments, career development, succession planning, and work assignments
• Establish and maintain staffing and hiring needs for propulsion engineering, working with Spacecraft leadership and HR to maintain the needed workforce
• Understand, monitor, and assist with propulsion efforts across spacecraft programs, including budget allocations, financial performance of the subsystem, corrective actions related to both financial and technical variances
• Ensure that propulsion subsystem design efforts are consistent with BCT development and systems engineering processes (EP-730, EP-001)
• Establish and remain cognizant of current and emerging propulsion technologies and suppliers
• Develop and maintain spacecraft delta-v and/or propellant budgets, given mission-level requirements
• Create/review propulsion subsystem designs
• Develop and maintain propulsion subsystem and component requirements, verification techniques, and statements of work
• Develop tools for propulsion subsystem performance analyses
• Oversee propulsion component and/or subsystem development, design, qualification, and verification efforts
• Develop interface specifications, CONOPS definition, subsystem description documents, and other design documents related to propulsion subsystems
• Assist with customer meetings and facilitate technical exchanges with customers and vendors
• Assist with proposals and facilitate technical exchanges with the engineering team
• Manage subcontract vendors to ensure high quality and timely product delivery
• Support program design reviews
• Collaborate closely with technical program leads across diverse domain expertise
• Support the allocation of driving requirements (both cost and technical)
• Support key trades (both cost and technical)
• Other responsibilities as assigned

Required Qualifications/Education:

• At least 12 years of relevant experience (spacecraft propulsion, chemical and electric)
• Bachelor's degree in engineering or science discipline
• Experience with all phases of the program life-cycle (business development, mission formulation, requirements flow-down, manufacturing, integration and test, and on-orbit operations)
• Demonstrated abilities with functional/team leadership and resource management, including performance evaluations, merit cycle planning, staffing management, career development planning
• Demonstrated abilities with cost estimation, schedule estimation, proposal execution
• System design experience, balancing performance, cost, power, emerging technologies, etc.
• Ability to perform trade studies and parametric analyses
• Ability to develop procurement documents (specification, SOW) and manage subcontracts
• Good documentation and communication skills
• Ability to work rapidly with some supervision on projects involving both small and large engineering teams
• Experience and skills in project definition, simulation, implementation, lab integration and test
• Must be able to work in a highly collaborative, fast-paced environment with emphasis in rapid prototyping and fielding of capabilities
• Related technical experience may be considered in lieu of education

Working Conditions:

This job operates in a professional office environment, but in a manufacturing company. This role uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, scanners, filing cabinets and fax machines. BCT anticipates the application window closing approximately 40 days from the date the notice was posted. However, factors such as candidate flow and business necessity may require BCT to shorten or extend the application window.

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit for long periods of time, use hands to finger, handle or feel. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms, talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand, bend, reach, and walk. The position requires some light physical effort. This would require the ability to lift or move objects up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift or move objects up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities are required by this job which includes close vision, distance vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.

Blue Canyon Technologies is a drug-free workplace and an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status or any other protected factor. Blue Canyon Technologies is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Melissa Po at [email protected].