Senior Propulsion Engineer Verified today
About Nova
Stoke is building Nova, a fully and rapidly reusable launch vehicle designed for daily flight. The Engines Team is developing reusable LNG/LOX full-flow staged combustion first stage engines and a LH2/LOX expander second stage engine.
Your Role
As a Senior Engines Design Engineer, you will have extreme ownership over all aspects of advanced reusable rocket engine component design, analysis, manufacturing, testing, and validation. Components include thrust chambers, reentry heat shields, injectors, turbomachinery, actuators, ignitors, and more. You will be a key member of the engines development team working through all phases of the product lifecycle, seeking out state-of-the-art design and manufacturing techniques to solve challenging problems.
Responsibilities
- Own various component designs across Stoke's engines, including regeneratively cooled thrust chambers, reentry heat shields, injectors, turbomachinery, actuators, ignitors, cryogenic flexible feedlines, engine layouts, heat exchangers, engine gimbals, thrust structure, and test rigs
- Create models, drawings, and coordinate manufacturing of components
- Develop and execute qualification test plans to ensure readiness for flight, including proof, vibration, thermal cycle, life cycle, flow testing, and hotfire testing
- Present and clearly communicate design, analysis, and test results
- Own root cause investigations and redesigns to improve reliability and manufacturing throughput
- Track risks and execute appropriate mitigation plans
- Develop and maintain test requirements and test plans
- Manage project schedules, risk, and budget
Requirements
- 8 or more years of experience in design, build, and testing of rocket engine components
- Exceptional command of fundamentals in mechanical design
- Experience with detailed mechanical design including machined parts, additive parts, weldments, fasteners, seals, and translating/rotating assemblies
- Experience designing, analyzing, and testing rocket engine components such as thrust chambers, regenerative cooling channels and heatshields, injectors, turbomachinery, actuators, ignitors, gimbals, and feed systems
- Experience in GD&T, axial/radial tolerance stackups, and material selections
- Experience post-processing test data to evaluate component performance and health
- Proficiency in heat transfer, compressible and incompressible flow, and cryogenics
- Proficiency with CAD tools, Siemens NX preferred
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering, or similar
- Excellent written and verbal communication
- Willing to relocate to Seattle, WA
Compensation and Benefits
Salary Range
- Level 4: $151,305 - $252,105
- Level 5: $176,505 - $327,810
Actual level and base salary will be decided based on your specific experience and skill level.
Benefits
- Equity in the form of stock options for all regular, full-time employees
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance with company subsidy
- Company-paid life and disability insurance
- 401(k) plan with employer match
- 4 weeks' paid time off
- 10 paid holidays including end-of-year closure
- Paid family and parental leave
- On-site gym or monthly wellness stipend depending on location
- Dog-friendly offices
US Export Control Requirements
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), you 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. Employment may be conditioned on your legal authorization to work with or have access to export control materials.