Test Stand Design Engineer

Canadarocketcompany; London; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Canada Rocket Company is seeking a Test Stand Engineer to design, build, and commission ground infrastructure capable of operating a 700 kN engine and subsystems. You will oversee the full lifecycle from concept to hot‑fire operations, coordinating mechanical, controls, software, and operations teams.

You will lead commissioning, hazard analyses, safe operation procedures, and test data analysis to improve stand reliability and turnaround.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or a related engineering discipline or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years designing mechanical and fluid systems for propulsion, test, or high‑pressure applications.
• Experience with high‑pressure, cryogenic fluid systems including valves, regulators, and relief devices.
• Proficiency with CAD software (SolidWorks, Siemens NX or Creo) for structures and plumbing.
• Ability to read P&IDs and engineering drawings; instrumentation sizing knowledge.
• Experience commissioning, leak testing, safety interlocks, and hazard analyses.

Responsibilities

• Design, build and bring online test stands for firing and validating rocket engines end‑to‑end.
• Develop structural frames, engine mounts and load‑bearing hardware.
• Size and route high‑pressure propellant and cryogenic plumbing systems.
• Integrate instrumentation for thrust, pressure, temperature, flow and vibration.
• Create P&IDs and control logic for fluid, pneumatic and ignition systems.
• Collaborate with controls/software to implement automated test operations and abort logic.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Siemens NX

Creo

LabVIEW

Job description

Canada Rocket Company is developing Canada's first medium-lift launch vehicle.

We are a team of veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, ArianeGroup, Pangea Propulsion, Tesla, MDA, and more, bringing over a century of combined launch and space systems experience back to Canada.

Our mission is to provide reliable, independent access to space for Canada and its allies in a rapidly expanding global market.

Our approach is defined by pragmatic engineering:

• We utilize a single 700 kN engine that scales from light- to medium-lift via engine clustering.
• We lean on simple, proven technologies to reach orbit faster, avoiding the pitfalls of complex or novel designs.
• We test early and often, catching problems on the bench instead of at the pad.

Backed by over $20M in funding secured within our first four months, including the largest all-Canadian seed round in the sector and an $8.3M Department of National Defence grant, we are moving with the speed and institutional backing required to meet Canada’s orbital launch needs.

About the role

Canada Rocket Company is building a sovereign launch capability for Canada. As a Test Stand Engineer, you will design, build, and commission the ground infrastructure capable of operating a 700 kN engine as well as its subsystems and components. Your facility will be the hub where propulsion, structures, avionics, flight software, ground software, and test infrastructure coalesce to verify the performance and robustness of our hardware, software, and processes.

If you want to shape the test capabilities of an entire launch vehicle program and be the first facility with this capacity in Canada, this is the role for you.

What you’ll do

• Design, build, and bring online the test stands used to fire and validate rocket engines, owning the full lifecycle from concept through hot‑fire operations
• Develop structural and mechanical designs for thrust frames, engine mounts, and load‑bearing hardware
• Size and route high‑pressure propellant and pressurant feed systems, including cryogenic plumbing
• Specify and integrate instrumentation for thrust, pressure, temperature, flow, and vibration measurement
• Create P&IDs, control logic, sequencing for fluid, pneumatic, and ignition systems
• Collaborate with controls and software engineers to implement automated test operations and abort logic
• Lead commissioning activities, including pressure and leak checks, system shakedowns, cold‑flow testing, and verification of safety interlocks
• Conduct hazard analyses and define safe operating procedures for stand operations
• Support test campaigns on the pad and respond to anomalies in real time
• Analyze test data to troubleshoot issues and continuously improve stand performance, reliability, and turnaround time

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or a related engineering discipline (or equivalent practical experience)
• 5+ years of experience designing mechanical and fluid systems, ideally for propulsion, test, or other high‑pressure applications
• Working knowledge of high‑pressure and cryogenic fluid systems, including component selection (valves, regulators, relief devices), sizing, and routing
• Proficiency with CAD software (e.g., SolidWorks, Siemens NX, or Creo) for designing structures, plumbing, and assemblies
• Ability to create and interpret P&IDs, schematics, and engineering drawings
• Working knowledge of operation and sizing of instrumentation for measuring thrust, pressure, temperature, flow, and vibration
• Understanding of structural analysis and load path design for thrust structures and pressurized hardware
• Experience taking systems through commissioning and checkout, including pressure testing, leak checking, and functional verification
• Strong grasp of hazard analysis and safe operating practices for energetic or high‑energy systems
• Hands‑on mechanical aptitude with the ability to support assembly, integration, and troubleshooting in the field
• Excellent problem‑solving skills and the ability to work under deadline pressure during active test campaigns
• Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate across mechanical, controls, software, and operations teams

Preferred

• Experience controlling or conducting test operations
• Experience with liquid methane and liquid oxygen systems
• Familiarity with hazardous operations and emergency response procedures
• Experience with LabView or equivalent control software