Launch Vehicle Propulsion Engineer

This position is based out of Huntsville, AL.

Responsibilities

• Provide LV systems senior engineering expertise at our Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, FL customer site. Areas of expertise may include Launch Vehicles (LVs), Cryogenic Systems, Electrical/Mechanical/Pneumatic Systems, Propellant Supply Systems, solid rocket motors (SRMs), LV liquid rocket engines (LREs), ordnance, or launch operations, Mission Assurance, or Launch Operations.
• Perform, review and analyze launch vehicle propulsion system design, manufacturing, test, & launch data; engineering functions such as requirements definition, design review, test review, pedigree, hardware acceptance, performance assessment and verification, operations, and post-flight analyses.
• Prepare Customer team for, and directly support, launch contractor reviews, audits, and site walkdowns, rehearsals and launch operations, and anomaly resolution processes.
• Perform technical and engineering data management, such as data mining and reporting, while successfully keeping proprietary information separate and protected.
• Provide an overall analysis/evaluation of the current launch vehicle Article/Tail # by consolidating critical information and metrics from reports for each Flight Critical Item List (FCIL) discipline.
• Produce Quality Program Surveillance, Component Surveillance, and Consolidated Surveillance Reports (tail number reports) on Avionics, Composites, Hydraulics, Propulsion and Structures, periodically, monthly, and as required.
• Verify/validate that manufacturing/producibility approaches/processes are developed/correlated with the critical design (in accordance with SMC-S-021 CDR Appendix E, SAE AS6500, and LE-T-014).
• Identify problematic suppliers and delivery issues, incorporating them into a tracking process (including those not on the FCIL but may impact the Launch Schedule).
• Provide quality oversight of AS9100, LE-T-014 and ISO-9000 environments, including technical review of written material and assessments of conformance to policies.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or higher in an Engineering (e.g., Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical) or STEM field. Note: 1.5 years relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of each 1 year of education/degree requirement.
• 12+ years launch systems structures and mechanical systems engineering, technical program management, or other related NSSL, Launch/Range, Department of Defense, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), or industry equivalent launch or space systems project engineering experience.
• Knowledge/experience with LV systems (liquid propellant rocket engines and systems, ordnance, hydraulics, in-flight avionics, LV ground support equipment, LV structures, composite materials, etc.) with strong preference for individuals with strong Propulsion Systems hardware design and test experience.
• Experience with LV design, processing, integration, testing, launch and anomaly resolution.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance, however not required to start.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience involving manufacture of complex products, application of manufacturing principles and methods including product design, process design, producibility, process qualification/validation, product design requirements flow down to manufacturing.
• Degree, certification, or proven experience in quality engineering, manufacturing and production programs.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Products and AI platforms used for professional writing or data analysis.
• Experience with Delta, Atlas, Vulcan, Falcon (or similar) launch vehicle programs highly desired.
• Experience utilizing Jira for issue tracking and Confluence for collaborative knowledge sharing.

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50%.
• Needs to occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc.
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine and computer printer.
• Frequently communicates with co-workers, management, and customers, which may involve delivering presentations. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.