Propulsion Fluidics Engineer

PAVE Space SA.; Villeneuve (VD); On-site; CHF 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

PAVE Space SA. in Switzerland is seeking a propulsion systems lead to own the fluidic architecture of the spacecraft.

You will head the design of the HTP main engine feed system from concept to flight and size the cold gas RCS thruster and its feed line, ensuring robustness for orbital environments. The role requires hands-on experience with prototype assembly, testing, and a strong CAD/fluidics modelling background.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of proven experience with propellant feed systems, valves, and regulators.
• Degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• Strong fundamentals in fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, and heat transfer.
• Proficiency in CAD and fluidics system modelling (NX, Python, MATLAB).
• Solid understanding of the space environment and its constraints: loads, thermal, vibration, materials.
• Hands-on experience with prototype assembly, fluidic system integration, and testing.
• Fluent English (our working language).
• Nice to have: full prototype lifecycle experience, French language skills, flight-qualified fluid systems.

Responsibilities

• Own the HTP engine feed system design from concept to flight.
• Size and design the cold gas RCS thruster and feed system, from concept to flight.
• Define verification and validation strategy for propulsion fluidic systems.
• Design Fluidic Ground Support Equipment for testing, validation, and launch fueling.
• Contribute to AIT campaigns: troubleshooting, functional tests, environmental testing.

Skills

Propellant feed systems

CAD

Fluidics modelling

Space environment knowledge

Prototype assembly & testing

English fluency

Education

Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering degree

Tools

NX

Python

MATLAB

Job description

Our IOD mission is on the clock. The main engine feed system and the cold gas RCS are both greenfield: no legacy constraints, just a propulsion team ready to support you and a timeline that means your first design decisions need to happen in weeks, not months. You'll own the full fluidic architecture of the spacecraft as a subsystem lead within the propulsion team.

You will own

Size and design the HTP main engine feed system, from concept to flight

Size and design the cold gas RCS thruster and feed system, from concept to flight

Verification and validation strategy for both propulsion fluidic systems

Fluidic Ground Support Equipment design for system testing, validation, and launch pad fuelling

Hands-on contribution to Assembly, Integration, and Test campaigns: troubleshooting, functional tests, environmental testing support

What we are looking for

2+ years of proven experience with propellant feed systems, valves, and regulators, preferably in aerospace, aeronautical, or automotive applications

Degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent experience that tells the same story

Strong fundamentals in fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, and heat transfer

Proficiency in CAD and fluidics system modelling (NX, Python, MATLAB, or equivalent)

Solid understanding of the space environment and its constraints: loads, thermal, vibration, materials

Hands-on experience with prototype assembly, fluidic system integration, and testing

Fluent English (our working language)

Nice to have: full prototype lifecycle experience from manufacturing through testing, French language skills, experience qualifying fluid systems for flight.

You will fit if

You want to own two critical subsystems from a blank page to flight hardware, not contribute a slice of someone else's design.

You're as comfortable in the test lab tightening fittings as you are at your desk sizing a regulator.

You prioritise simplicity and robustness over elegance, because what you design has to work in orbit.

You move fast through design iterations and don't wait for perfect inputs to start.

This is fully on-site in Villeneuve (VD). Both systems are greenfield, which means there's nothing to inherit and everything to build. The timeline to flight is real and tight: design cycles will be measured in weeks, and decisions you make early will be hard to revisit later. That's the nature of the work, not a warning. What makes that worth it: you'll see hardware you designed from scratch fly on the most ambitious space programme in Switzerland, with your fluidic architecture keeping it alive from engine ignition to final orbit insertion.

We are building to ship, grounded on real hardware, real funding, real milestones.