Senior/Staff Propulsion Engineer, Fluid and Mechanical Systems, In-Space

Ursa Major’s teams move fast and do a lot with little. We are looking for a skilled, fast learning individual who will serve as a central member of the team and take immediate ownership of fluid and mechanical system design efforts as a responsible engineer.  This role will be part of the technical organization, responsible for clean sheet design, development, and validation of a variety of propulsion hardware, as well as technical guidance and mentoring of a team responsible for similar hardware. Candidates will be expected to have ownership from the initial concept phase to a production-ready design and may need to support multiple engine programs simultaneously. 

Responsibilities: 

• Clean sheet design of fluid & mechanical spacecraft propulsion system components including actuators, valves, tanks, and fluid systems 

• Design modifications of existing components and prototypes to increase performance, improve manufacturability or resolve limitations 

• Mentor other engineers at Ursa Major on topics including design of components, system sizing, component testing, and system-level architecture and development for multiple programs. 

• Derive requirements from top level system and test objectives 

• Write, review, and update work instructions for the assembly of components as well as establish appropriate acceptance and qualification tests 

• Assemble and test first article prototypes 

• Work closely with interfacing teams to ensure successful integration of component designs into the propulsion system.  Support validation and recursive design during system development. 

Required Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering 

• 5+ years of relevant spacecraft propulsion experience 

• Experience with spacecraft fluid systems architecture, requirements, and design for various missions including LEO, GEO, and beyond 

• Experience with transient fluid modeling such as ROCETS, GFSSP, or AFT Impulse 

• Working knowledge of and hands-on experience with fluid, mechanical, and electrical systems 

• Strong understanding of industry standards and requirements including SMC-S-016, AIAA S-080, and SSCMAN 91-710 

• Desire to take ownership and help wherever needed on the team 

• Able to delegate tasks and lead large project scope 

• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and stay flexible based on customer demands and company priorities along with daily firefighting 

Desired Experience 

• Demonstrated proficiency with basic principles of design for manufacturability 

• Demonstrated proficiency with computer aided design and drafting and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing per ASME Y14.5 

• Spacecraft propulsion system and component design, test, or analysis 

• Familiarity with hypergolic propellant systems 

• Experience operating in ISO 9001 or AS9100 certified organizations. 

• Experience with structural, fluids, and thermal analysis using Ansys FEA software 

• 5+ years of Siemens NX CAD programs and Windchill PLM software 

• Master's or PhD in mechanical or aerospace engineering. 

• Component testing and validation experience 

• Direct experience with flight qualification and flight support. 

Colorado law requires us to tell you the base compensation range of this role, which is $125,000 - $175,000, determined by your education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities. The salary range for this role is intentionally wide as we are evaluating individuals based on their unique experience and abilities to fit our needs. Most importantly, we are excited to meet you, and see if you are a great fit for our team. What we can’t quantify for you are the exciting challenges, supportive team, and amazing culture we enjoy. Click here for more information about our awesome benefits.