Lead Propulsion Component Engineer
Core
Own the development of flight-critical propulsion components including valves, actuators, and high-performance mechanical systems operating in extreme thermal and pressure environments.
Role type
Lead Propulsion Component Engineer (player-coach)
Builds
Flight-critical propulsion hardware (valves, actuators, fluid control systems)
Domain
Defense aviation / Aerospace propulsion
Deliverable
production ML models | product features | dashboards & analysis | research | client delivery | infrastructure | physical/clinical work
Required skills
mechanical systems design, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, materials science, GD&T, CAD design, test campaign management, team leadership, clean-sheet design, trade studies
Preferred skills
propulsion systems, high-pressure fluid systems, turbomachinery-adjacent hardware, high-temperature materials, rapid development environments, NX CAD, ANSYS analysis
Technologies
NX, ANSYS
Responsibilities
Own propulsion components from concept through flight qualification, Design for extreme environments including high temperature and pressure, Drive trade studies across performance and manufacturability, Execute clean-sheet design and integration, Lead development through rapid build-test-iterate cycles, Support and troubleshoot hardware during ground and flight test campaigns, Lead and mentor a team of 2–5 engineers, Act as the Responsible Engineer for critical flight hardware, Work closely with propulsion, structures, and vehicle teams, Define system requirements and interfaces, Drive transition from prototype to production-ready hardware, Develop assembly and test strategies
Seniority
Senior, hands-on IC with team leadership