Valve Development Engineer Verified today
The Role
You will lead the design and development of solenoid isolation valves for our storable propulsion system, from concept through qualification. You will own the electromagnetic, mechanical, and sealing design that makes the valve work reliably over the mission life.
Valve Design and Development
- Support the design of solenoid isolation valves from concept through qualification, balancing performance, mass, reliability, and manufacturability.
- Define and mature valve architecture including poppet/seat design, actuation mechanism, and sealing concept to meet functional and interface requirements.
- Perform mechanical sizing and trade studies covering force margins, spring rates, stroke, and response time to support design decisions.
Electromagnetic and Actuation Design
- Design and analyze the solenoid actuator including coil, armature, and magnetic circuit to meet response time, power, and force margin requirements.
- Collaborate with electrical engineers on coil drive electronics and EMI/EMC considerations.
- Support trade-offs between actuation force, power consumption, and thermal dissipation.
Materials, Sealing and Propellant Compatibility
- Select materials and seal designs compatible with storable propellants, ensuring long-term compatibility and low permeation and leakage.
- Define sealing concepts using elastomeric or metal-to-metal designs, balancing leak-tightness, cycle life, and contamination sensitivity.
- Coordinate with materials engineering on qualification of propellant-wetted materials.
Design Verification and Cross-Functional Coordination
- Define and support the verification plan for valve qualification, working closely with test engineers on test setup and success criteria.
- Collaborate with manufacturing engineers to ensure design manufacturability and testability.
- Support anomaly investigations and root cause analysis for valve-level issues, feeding lessons learned back into the design.
Location
You will work principally at our premises in Bordeaux and may be required to travel from time to time to our premises in Munich.
What We Are Looking For
- B.S. in mechanical, manufacturing, or aerospace engineering with hands-on experience designing valves or similar electromechanical fluid components for space or aerospace applications.
- Experience in solenoid and electromagnetic actuator design including magnetic circuit design and coil design is a strong plus.
- Strong understanding of sealing technology, elastomer and metal seal design, and propellant compatibility; storable propellant experience preferred.
- Proficiency in CAD tools such as CATIA, NX, or equivalent, and mechanical analysis tools.
- Experience defining and supporting qualification test campaigns for valves.
- Familiarity with applicable standards for valve qualification such as NASA, ECSS, or equivalent.
- Hands-on approach to problem-solving combined with a collaborative mindset to work across multidisciplinary teams.
- Excellent organizational skills and ability to multitask.
- Capability of working autonomously whilst collaborating productively with remote teams.
- Positive and flexible attitude in a constantly evolving environment.
- Ability to communicate effectively with a wide variety of audiences.
Background checks are required for this role and are subject to country, role, and project.