Electric Propulsion Engineer

Aerospacelab; Mont-Saint-Guibert; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Aerospacelab in Belgium is seeking an experienced propulsion engineer to define, integrate, verify, and support the EP subsystem across multiple satellite projects. You will derive subsystem requirements and budgets, and manage interfaces with the power electronics team to ensure robust design and mission success.

You will also select and manage EP suppliers, write specifications and ICDs, and participate in milestone reviews, AIT activities, and launch campaigns.

Qualifications

• MSc degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience in spacecraft propulsion, preferably electric propulsion.
• Solid understanding of electric propulsion principles (plasma basics, thruster operation, performance, lifetime).
• Understanding of EP subsystem chain: thruster, PPU, propellant storage, feed system, telemetry.
• Experience managing technical interfaces with suppliers (specifications, ICDs, progress follow-up).
• Structured, rigorous and organized; able to manage several projects in parallel.
• Experience reading/writing detailed technical documentation.
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken.

Responsibilities

• Define, integrate, verify and support the EP subsystem across multiple satellite projects.
• Derive EP subsystem requirements and budgets (delta-v, propellant, power, thrust-time).
• Define and manage interfaces between EP and platform; coordinate with power electronics team.
• Select and manage EP suppliers; write/review specifications, ICDs; track progress.
• Contribute to milestone reviews; produce EP design justification, analyses and test procedures.
• Support AIT, propellant loading, safety and contamination control; analyze telemetry for thruster health.

Skills

English fluency

Technical documentation

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Communication skills

Education

MSc in Aerospace/EE/Physics/Mech/related

Job description

About Aerospacelab

Our mission is supported by an ambitious vertically integrated approach: design & manufacture of small satellites combined with development of earth observation services.

Since its creation in 2018, the company has already grown substantially. Our team gathers more than 25 engineering expertise, from hardware design to software development & data science.

In 2026, Aerospacelab counts offices in Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium), Toulouse (France), Lausanne (Switzerland) and US West Coast with more than 450full-time employees, with the ambition to position itself as the European leader in small satellites.

Your mission

Core responsibility: Define, integrate, verify, and support the electric propulsion (EP) subsystem across multiple satellite projects, from early mission design through in-orbit operations.

• Derive EP subsystem requirements from mission needs (orbit raising, station keeping, collision avoidance, deorbiting). Build and maintain delta-v, propellant, power, and thrust-time budgets in coordination with mission analysis, AOCS, and power teams.
• Define and manage the electrical, fluidic, mechanical, thermal, and data interfaces between the EP subsystem and the platform. Work closely with the power electronics team on PPU/bus interfaces, inrush and transient behaviour, grounding, and EMC.
• Select, follow up, and technically manage EP suppliers. Write and review specifications, SoWs, and ICDs. Track supplier progress, qualification status, and deliverables, and take part in supplier reviews and audits.
• Contribute to project milestone reviews and produce the associated EP documentation: design justification, analyses, verification plans, test procedures, and reports.
• Support assembly, integration, and test (AIT) activities, including propellant loading, pressurized system safety, and cleanliness and contamination control.
• Assess system-level effects of EP operation, such as plume impingement, sputtering and contamination, thermal loads.
• Support launch campaigns, in-orbit commissioning, and operations. Analyse telemetry to monitor thruster performance and health, and feed lessons learned back into future designs.

Must have

• MSc degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience in spacecraft propulsion, preferably electric propulsion, in design, integration, testing, or operations.
• Solid understanding of electric propulsion principles, including plasma physics basics, thruster operation, performance parameters (thrust, Isp, efficiency, lifetime), and typical failure modes.
• Understanding of the full EP subsystem chain: thruster, PPU, propellant storage and feed system, and associated control and telemetry.
• Experience managing technical interfaces with suppliers or partners, including specifications, ICDs, and progress follow-up.
• Structured, rigorous, and organized way of working. Able to manage several projects in parallel in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience reading and writing detailed technical documentation. Proficiency in MS Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills. Able to work across multidisciplinary teams and interface with customers and suppliers.
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken.

Nice to have

• Experience contributing to space project milestones and qualification or acceptance campaigns for propulsion hardware.
• Experience with EP modelling and analysis tools, such as plasma models, plume models, lifetime and erosion analysis.