Senior Propulsion Engineer Verified today
About Nova
Stoke is building Nova, a fully reusable launch vehicle designed for daily flight. By radically lowering launch costs and increasing flight cadence, Nova tackles the core challenges of space transportation.
The Role
As a Senior Engines Design Engineer, you will have extreme ownership over all aspects of component design, analysis, manufacturing, testing and validation for advanced reusable rocket engines. You will work on components including regeneratively cooled thrust chambers, reentry heat shields, injectors, turbomachinery, actuators, ignitors, cryogenic flexible feedlines, engine layouts, heat exchangers, gimbals and thrust structures.
You will be a key member of the engines development team working through all phases of the product lifecycle. You will seek out state-of-the-art design and manufacturing techniques and tools, continuously iterate and improve your designs, and stay focused to move fast and learn on the fly.
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 various components for the engines team
- 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 or 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+ years of experience in design, build and testing of rocket engine components
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering or similar
- Exceptional command of fundamentals in heat transfer, compressible and incompressible flow, and cryogenics
- Experience with detailed mechanical design including machined parts, additive parts, weldments, fasteners, seals and translating/rotating assemblies
- Experience in designing, analyzing and testing rocket engine components: thrust chambers, regenerative cooling channels and heatshields, injectors, turbomachinery, actuators, ignitors, gimbals, feed systems and engine layouts
- Experience in GD&T, axial/radial tolerance stackups and material selections
- Experience post-processing test data to evaluate component performance and health
- Proficiency with CAD tools, Siemens NX preferred
- Excellent written and verbal communication
- Willing to relocate to Seattle, WA
Compensation and Benefits
Target compensation ranges:
- Level 4: $151,305 - $252,105
- Level 5: $176,505 - $327,810
Your actual level and base salary will be decided based on your specific experience and skill level.
Benefits include equity in the form of stock options, comprehensive medical/dental/vision insurance, company-paid life and disability insurance, 401(k) with employer match, 4 weeks paid time off, 10 holidays including end-of-year closure, paid family/parental leave, on-site gym or monthly wellness stipend, and dog-friendly offices.
ITAR Requirements
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S. (current Green Card holder), or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).