Propulsion Engineer II

Our products and technologies require an extraordinary team. A team who will mold tomorrow’s technologies while deploying today’s best. We are comprised of intrinsically motivated individuals who have a passion for solving problems and empower each other every day to develop our skills knowing that there is always room for growth.

We are looking for a skilled fast learning individual who will serve as a central member of the In-Space team and take immediate hardware ownership as a responsible engineer.  This role will be part of the technical organization responsible for clean sheet design development and validation of a variety of propulsion hardware. Candidates will be expected to have ownership from the initial concept phase to a production-ready design and may need to support multiple In-Space programs simultaneously. 

Responsibilities: 

• Ownership of new and existing spacecraft propulsion system components through flight with a focus on pressure vessels
• Clean sheet design of spacecraft propulsion system components including tanks thrusters and fluid systems 

• Design modifications of existing components and prototypes to increase performance and improve manufacturability

• Derive requirements from top level system and test objectives 

• Write review and update work instructions for the assembly of components and establish appropriate acceptance and qualification tests 

• Assemble and test first article prototypes 

• Work closely with interfacing teams to ensure successful integration of component designs into the propulsion system.  Support validation and recursive design during system development. 

Required Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering 

• 2+ years of relevant hardware design and ownership experience
• Demonstrated proficiency with basic principles of design for manufacturability 

• Demonstrated proficiency with computer aided design and drafting and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing per ASME Y14.5 

• Working knowledge of and hands-on experience with pressure vessels fluid mechanical and electrical systems 

• Desire to take ownership and help wherever needed on the team 

• Able to delegate tasks and lead large project scope 

• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and stay flexible based on customer demands and company priorities along with daily firefighting 

Desired Experience 

• Experience with spacecraft fluid systems architecture requirements and design for various missions including LEO GEO and beyond 

• Spacecraft propulsion system and component design test or analysis 

• Familiarity with hypergolic propellant systems 
• Knowledge of industry standards and requirements including SMC-S-016 AIAA S-080 and SSCMAN 91-710 

• Experience operating in ISO 9001 or AS9100 certified organizations. 

• Experience with structural fluids and thermal analysis using Ansys FEA

• 2+ years of Siemens NX CAD programs and Windchill PLM software 

• Master's or PhD in mechanical or aerospace engineering. 

• Component testing and validation experience 

• Experience with flight qualification and flight support. 

Colorado law requires us to tell you the base compensation range of this role which is $92000 - $115000 determined by your education experience knowledge skills and abilities. The salary range for this role is intentionally wide as we are evaluating individuals based on their unique experience and abilities to fit our needs. Most importantly we are excited to meet you and see if you are a great fit for our team. What we can’t quantify for you are the exciting challenges supportive team and amazing culture we enjoy.

Classification: Full-time Exempt

What We Do

Ursa Major was founded to address a critical shortfall in the U.S. industrial base and bring a new model to aerospace and defense systems: we design and manufacture the world’s leading propulsion systems for space hypersonic applications and missile systems. Our products and technologies require an extraordinary team – a team that will mold tomorrow’s technologies while deploying today’s best. We are an intrinsically motivated team that has a passion for solving problems and empowering each other every day to develop our skills knowing that there is always room for growth.

Why Work With Us

We believe that each unique team member fuels the creativity necessary to build the world’s best propulsion systems. This is realized as a deeply held commitment to celebrating individuality hiring talent across all backgrounds and experiences building a culture of inclusion and constantly challenging ourselves to improve.

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