Senior Propulsion Engineer I

To conform with the United States Government Space Technology Export Regulations, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., conditional resident, asylee or refugee (protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

About the role

CesiumAstro develops and pioneers out-of-the-box communication systems for satellites, UAVs, launch vehicles, and other space and airborne platforms. We take pride in our dynamic and cross-functional work environment, which allows us to learn, develop, and engage across our organization. If you are looking for hands-on, interactive, and autonomous work, CesiumAstro is the place for you. We are actively seeking passionate, collaborative, energetic, and forward-thinking individuals to join our team.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, analysis, and testing of critical liquid rocket engine hardware and propulsion subsystems.
• Take ownership of complex flight hardware from concept development through qualification and flight readiness.
• Design and develop a variety of liquid rocket engine parts, including loading frames, gimbals, bellows units, and pipelines.
• Perform calculations and analyses with team support.
• Own requirements definition, architecture trades, and system-level integration for assigned subsystems.
• Generate technical documentation, including reports, specifications, and contributions to PDRs and CDRs.
• Perform CFD and FEA analyses to evaluate performance parameters such as pressure drops, hydraulic characteristics, and mechanical integrity under operating conditions.
• Develop and execute test programs, analyze experimental data, and apply findings to optimize designs.
• Collaborate across mechanical, aerospace, and controls engineering teams to deliver flight-ready hardware.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• 4+ years of experience with mechanical design, development, fabrication, assembly, or test.
• Hands-on proficiency in CAD tools (Siemens NX, SolidWorks).
• Demonstrated expertise in structural or mechanical design for flight hardware.
• Experience in early-stage vehicle architecture and design trades.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with high attention to detail.
• Willing to make mistakes, take responsibilities, work independently and be transparent about your work.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience designing a variety of liquid rocket engine parts, including loading frames, gimbals, bellows units, and pipelines.
• Practical experience in test bench setup and performance diagnostics.
• Hands-on engineering (Full-stack: computer to wrench to broom).
• Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T).
• Familiarity with aerospace safety and reliability practices.
• Experience in a start-up or rapid development environment.
• Experience with tools such as ANSYS and MATLAB.

Pay

$140,000 - $168,000 a year

Benefits

Full-time employment offers include company stock options and a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life, disability and retirement plans.