Sr. Propulsion Engineer, Blue Thrusters Valves Verified today
About the Role
As a Senior Propulsion Engineer on the Blue Thrusters team, you will serve in a technical leadership capacity over a product line of flight-critical valve hardware, including direct acting solenoid and pneumatically piloted valves. You will be the go-to technical authority for your product line, driving the tools, processes, and standards that govern how we design, build, and test these systems. You will guide engineers from initial requirements definition through qualification and into production, working closely with cross-functional teams to ensure every valve meets the highest standards of performance and reliability.
Key Responsibilities
- Serve as technical lead and subject matter expert for the Blue Thrusters Valve product line, encompassing direct acting solenoid and pneumatically piloted valve designs
- Mentor valve responsible engineers, developing their expertise in design, manufacturing, and test
- Develop, establish, and maintain team-wide design, build, and test tools, processes, and standards to ensure consistency, quality, and efficiency across the product line
- Perform and review fluid, structural, and electromagnetic analysis for definition and validation of requirements across pressure, temperature, electrical, and dynamic environments
- Define and implement margin strategies to ensure products meet requirements without excessive cost and mass impacts
- Collaborate with systems, propulsion, electrical, and software engineers to define interfaces, refine requirements, and integrate valve hardware into broader thruster systems
- Lead design reviews, provide technical mentorship to junior engineers, and contribute to a culture of engineering excellence
- Engage with suppliers to drive component development, ensure quality, and resolve technical issues throughout the supply chain
- Support fabrication, assembly, and testing of development and flight hardware; review and disposition non-conforming hardware with sound engineering judgment
- Author and review technical reports, qualification packages, test plans, and engineering specifications
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field
- 8+ years of industry experience designing and developing fluid control hardware, with demonstrated expertise in valve design for aerospace or high-reliability applications
- Hands-on experience with both electromechanical (solenoid) and pneumatically actuated valve designs
- Strong technical fundamentals in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, mechanical design, electromagnetic design, and structural mechanics
- Proficiency in 3D CAD software (Creo preferred) and experience creating engineering drawings with GD&T per ASME Y14.5 standards
- Demonstrated experience with hardware fabrication, integration processes, and quality control
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills with demonstrated ability to lead technical discussions across stakeholders, build cross-functional alignment, and mentor peers
- Must be 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
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field
- Experience establishing or improving team-level design standards, processes, or toolsets in a valve or fluid systems engineering environment
- Familiarity with analytical tools such as ANSYS, COMSOL, AFT Fathom/Arrow, or similar FEA/CFD/fluid modeling packages
- Experience with propellant control valves for liquid rocket engines or thruster systems, including exposure to propellants such as Oxygen, Hydrogen, Methane, MMH, and NTO
- Experience with full valve development lifecycle: design, development, qualification, acceptance, and production
- Experience collaborating with electrical and software engineers on closed-loop control systems or valve drive electronics
- Familiarity with leak testing, proof/burst testing, vibration, shock, thermal, and functional test methodologies for fluid control hardware
- Experience with Windchill or similar PDM/PLM systems
Compensation and Location
Base pay range for WA applicants: $145,188.00 to $203,263.20. Other site ranges may differ.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance
- Paid parental leave, short and long-term disability
- 401(k) with company match up to 5%
- Stock options for all regular employees working at least 20 hours per week
- Paid time off: up to four weeks per year based on scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays
- Education Support Program
- Bonus eligibility based on role type and job level (not guaranteed)