Fluids Engineer - Propulsion Valves, Ducts, Lines

About the role

Cowboy Space Corp. is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our satellites operate in Low Earth Orbit to collect sunlight and enable a new class of capabilities—from powering on-orbit compute, to transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), to delivering secure, high-bandwidth optical data. By rethinking how energy and data are generated and distributed in space, we’re unlocking entirely new ways to operate both in orbit and on Earth.

Responsibilities

• Own your fluid subsystem from concept through design, analysis, test, and flight.
• Drive fluid component and system designs for minimum mass while meeting pressure drop, proof, burst, leakage, cycle-life, and operating-life requirements across ground, ascent, and on-orbit environments.
• Design valves, fluid routing architectures, and fluid storage hardware for propellant, pneumatic, and thermal fluid service on rocket engines and vehicle fluid systems.
• Balance performance, manufacturability, cost, and schedule in every design decision.
• Perform analysis — hand calculations, FEA, tolerance stack-ups — and validate predictions with test and flight data.
• Own fluid subsystem layout and integration, ensuring compatibility across propulsion, thermal, and pneumatic systems.
• Define and execute qualification and acceptance test campaigns (proof, burst, leak, flow, cycle life, vibration); author procedures, acceptance criteria, and anomaly dispositions.
• Develop and maintain engineering drawings, models, specifications, interface control documents, and release documentation.
• Work directly on the factory floor with manufacturing and technicians to iterate quickly and resolve build issues in real time.
• Troubleshoot hardware anomalies, perform root cause analysis, and implement design improvements.
• Support engine and vehicle integration, hot-fire and fill/drain operations, ground system interfaces, post-test inspection, and refurbishment planning.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
• 3+ years of experience designing fluid system hardware (valves, regulators, tanks and pressure vessels, tubing, fittings, or manifolds) for flight vehicles or high-performance hardware.
• Experience taking hardware from concept through build, integration, and test.
• Strong fundamentals in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, structural mechanics, materials, and manufacturing processes.
• Experience with fluid system analysis: pressure drop and flow sizing, structural analysis of pressure vessels, or thermal-fluid modeling.
• Proficiency with CAD (NX, SolidWorks, CATIA, or Creo) and creating engineering drawings to ASME Y14.5 GD&T standards.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience designing fluid system hardware for flight vehicles or high-performance hardware.
• Direct experience with rocket engine, launch vehicle, or spacecraft propulsion fluid systems.
• Experience designing or qualifying valves (solenoid, pneumatic, hydraulic, or mechanically actuated) and pressure regulators.
• Familiarity with cryogenic fluid handling, storage, and insulation systems.
• Knowledge of material and seal compatibility with common propellants (LOX, methane, RP-1, etc) and pressurants (helium, nitrogen), including oxygen-compatible design practice.
• Experience supporting propulsion hot-fire testing or vehicle fill/drain operations.
• Experience at a fast-moving, hardware-focused startup or early-stage program.

Pay

The salary range for this position is $130,000 – $195,000 annually. The actual base salary offered will depend on factors such as job-related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

Benefits

• Employees and their eligible dependents may enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan.
• Paid time off.
• 10 paid holidays per calendar year.
• Paid parental leave.
• Relocation assistance if applicable.
• Daily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks.

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.