Head, Propulsion

Canadarocketcompany; Toronto; On-site; CAD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Canada Rocket Company is seeking a Head of Propulsion Systems to lead the propulsion and fluid systems team. The role combines leadership with hands-on engineering to guide design, development, operation, and reuse of propulsion and stage fluids.

You will direct the architecture, manage budgets and schedules, and mentor a diverse group of engineers spanning systems, combustion devices, turbomachinery, and thermal/fluid analysis.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in design, analysis, development, qualification, and operation of liquid bipropellant rocket engines.
• Proven ability to build and lead engineering teams with hiring, mentoring, and processes.
• Experience in fast-paced, resource-constrained environments with iterative design-build-test cycles.
• Experience with sizing, materials, fabrication processes, injectors, chambers, nozzles.
• Awareness of turbomachinery configurations, operations, and performance parameters.
• Analyze propulsion elements using thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and structural mechanics.
• Proficiency designing and interpreting complex fluid systems.
• Experience sizing plumbing components and valves.
• Proficiency applying first principles to novel solutions.
• Knowledge of FMECA, Fault Tree Analysis, and Fishbone analysis.
• Hazardous operations (HAZOP) planning and safety leadership.
• Familiarity with CGP, EIPA, ITAR regulations.

Responsibilities

• Steer the technical direction and architecture for propulsion and vehicle fluid systems.
• Drive development, qualification, production, flight, and reuse of propulsion and vehicle fluid systems.
• Manage propulsion and fluid systems’ schedule, budget, resources, risk, design reviews, and suppliers/subcontractors.
• Plan, coordinate, and oversee concurrent propulsion subsystem programs.
• Build and mentor a multidisciplinary team of systems, combustion devices, turbomachinery, components, and thermal/fluid analysts.
• Instill a culture of ownership and efficient actions.
• Interface with customers, launch operators, or government agencies on propulsion certification.

Skills

Leadership

Propulsion

Liquid Engines

System Architecture

Project Management

FMECA Analysis

Testing & Flight

First Principles

Python

CAD

Visio

ITAR/Regulatory

Tools

Python

CAD

Visio

Job description

About the role

Canada Rocket Company is building a sovereign launch capability for Canada. We're looking for a Head of Propulsion Systems to build and lead the team responsible for the propulsion and fluid systems on the vehicle. This is both a leadership and technical role. As a demonstrated leader, strategic manager, technically proficient engineer you will guide the team through design, development, operation, and reuse of propulsion and stage fluid systems.

What you'll do

• Steer the technical direction and architecture for propulsion and vehicle fluid systems.
• Drive development, qualification, production, flight, and reuse of propulsion and vehicle fluid systems.
• Manage propulsion and fluid systems’ schedule, budget, resources, risk, design reviews, as well as suppliers and subcontractors.
• Plan, coordinate, and oversee concurrent propulsion subsystem programs.
• Build, lead, and mentor an exceptional multidisciplinary team consisting of systems engineers, combustion devices engineers, turbomachinery engineers, components engineers, thermal analysts, fluid analysts, structural analysts, and more.
• Instill a culture of extreme ownership and efficient actions.
• Interface with customers, launch operators, or government agencies (e.g., FAA, NASA, DoD) on propulsion certification.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in design, analysis, development, qualification, and operation of liquid bipropellant rocket engines with appreciable durations both as an individual contributor and leader.
• Proven ability to build and lead engineering teams, including hiring, mentoring, and establishing processes from an early stage.
• Inclination toward a fast-paced, resource-constrained environment with rapid hardware development using iterative design-build-test cycles that are central to the engineering culture.
• Experience with sizing, material selection, fabrication processes, and developing injectors, chambers, and or nozzles.
• Awareness of basic turbomachinery configurations, operations, and performance parameters.
• Analyze or trade propulsion elements using first order thermodynamic, fluid mechanics, and structural mechanics analyses.
• Proficiency designing, analyzing, and interpreting complex fluid systems as well as understanding the behaviour of the mechanisms in those systems.
• Experience sizing and using components such as solenoid / pneumatic / hydraulic valves, regulators, check valves, relief valves, filters, pressure transducers, thermocouples, flow meters, etc.
• Experience sizing and using plumbing parts including tubing, piping, flanges, gaskets, o-rings, fittings, etc.
• Proficiency applying first principles to identify solutions not traditionally considered.
• Issue identification, diagnosis, and resolution including Failure Mode, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA), Fault Tree Analysis, and Fishbone analysis.
• Experience preparing for and participating in test and or flight campaigns.
• Hazardous operations (HAZOP) planning and safety culture leadership.
• Functional proficiency in Visio, CAD, and Python.
• Familiarity with CGP, EIPA, ITAR, etc regulations.
• Stakeholder reporting to senior leadership and customers.
• Proposal writing and business development exposure.