Staff Propulsion Engineer

About the role

Agile Space Industries is a rapidly growing supplier of propulsion hardware and engineering services for the space industry. Based in Durango, Colorado, with operations in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and upcoming growth in Seattle, Washington, Agile has achieved more than 40% year-over-year growth for the past three years.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of hypergolic propulsion systems and components, including combustion devices, liquid rocket engines, propellant systems, and supporting components.
• Establish architecture and design injectors for engines based on operational requirements including pulse mode, steady state or throttle operations and performance needs.
• Design and layout of storable propellant rocket engine combustion devices.
• Define and conduct trade studies to design combustion chambers for engines by balancing thermal restrictions and performance requirements by implementing the right cooling methods.
• Work with supplier(s) to identify the appropriate valves for propellant control based on hypergol compatibility and performance requirements like response times, cycle frequency, etc.
• Perform system-level trade studies, modeling, and simulation to optimize performance, efficiency, and reliability. Performance modeling can include use of TDK or similar industry standard tools.
• Own hypergolic propulsion hardware from concept, detailed design, analysis, prototyping, testing, and production support.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with structures, thermal, manufacturing, and test teams.
• Develop and review engineering documentation, including requirements, specifications, and design reviews.
• Lead root cause analysis and implement corrective actions for design and test issues.
• Support test campaigns, including planning, execution, data analysis, and reporting.
• Prepare formal presentations and reports for customer communication and gated product development reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, etc.)
• Ensure compliance with industry standards, safety regulations, and quality requirements.
• Provide technical mentorship and guidance to junior engineers.
• Contribute to long-term technology roadmaps and innovation initiatives.
• Utilize SolidWorks CAD for design of components and/or assemblies.

Qualifications

• M.S. or higher degree in related engineering or technical field. Equivalent professional experience will be considered in lieu of a degree.
• 12+ Years of experience working on development of propulsion systems. Strong background in fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, and combustion.
• Deep understanding of fuel film cooling and regenerative cooling in bipropellant engines as well as design experience to ensure thermal stability in engines.
• Experience working with performance modeling tools like TDK or similar JANNAF compliant tools commonly used in the storable propulsion industry.
• Working knowledge of and experience with selection of valves for different chemical propulsion applications.
• Multi-disciplined engineer confident working through ambiguity and uncertainty across complex assignments.
• Proven track record of delivering hypergolic propulsion systems from concept to production.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with chemical rocket propulsion systems.
• Familiarity with CFD, FEA, and propulsion system modeling tools (e.g., ANSYS, MATLAB/Simulink) to understand analysis results.
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes such as additive manufacturing, machining, and casting.
• Experience working in regulated industries (e.g., aerospace, defense).
• Knowledge of combustion instabilities.
• Prior technical leadership, project ownership and/or people management experience.

Benefits

• Generous health coverage, dental and vision plans.
• Flexible Time Off.
• Parental leave.
• A 401(k) with 100% company match up to 4%.

Pay

$144,000 – $200,000 annually. Final compensation will be based on factors such as experience, skills, and internal equity, and is typically made within the midrange, rather than the upper end.

Schedule

Full Time

Location

Seattle, WA (Hybrid)