Spacecraft Propulsion Architect

Clearspace; City Of London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

ClearSpace in the United Kingdom is seeking a Spacecraft Propulsion Architect to act as the technical authority for propulsion design within the Mechanical, Thermal and Propulsion team. You will lead propulsion architecture development and drive trade-offs across performance, reliability and mission constraints.

There is potential to coordinate the Mechanical, Thermal and Propulsion domains, mentor engineers, and engage with customers, suppliers and institutions to ensure coherent spacecraft

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in spacecraft propulsion engineering.
• Proven experience in propulsion architecture or senior technical leadership roles.
• Strong expertise in chemical and/or electric propulsion technologies.

Responsibilities

• Own the spacecraft propulsion architecture throughout the mission lifecycle.
• Lead the definition and justification of the propulsion concept and design.
• Drive system-level propulsion trade-offs involving performance, reliability, operational concepts and mission constraints.
• Establish and maintain propulsion budgets, margins and system allocations.
• Define propulsion subsystem architectures and interfaces across all spacecraft subsystems.
• Lead propulsion sizing analyses and system-level trade studies.
• Coordinate propulsion analyses to justify the design and demonstrate compliance.
• Define propulsion verification strategies and support qualification and launch readiness activities.
• Mentor engineers and contribute to propulsion engineering standards and best practices.

Skills

Spacecraft propulsion systems

Propulsion architecture leadership

Propulsion sizing analyses

Systems engineering perspective

Stakeholder management

Technical leadership

Fluid systems & pressurization

Education

MSc or PhD in Aerospace Engineering or related discipline

Job description

At ClearSpace, we believe in reusability, in affordability driving disruption, and that no progress is real unless it is sustainable.

Our company was founded in 2018 out of the realization that in-orbit servicing and space debris removal are vital services for the future of space exploration and operations. Today ClearSpace has assembled an expert engineering team and is leading the way toward sustainable space operations. From a garage in Switzerland, we now operate across UK and Europe, and are working with world-leading institutions and companies to bring our dream of a sustainable space ecosystem to life.

We are looking for a Spacecraft Propulsion Architect to join our team !

The Role

The successful candidate will be a key member of the Mechanical, Thermal and Propulsion (MTP) team and will act as the technical authority for the spacecraft propulsion design. The Propulsion Architect will contribute directly to the development of ClearSpace’s platform and support propulsion-related architectural decisions.

There is also an opportunity for the right candidate to act as the lead coordinator for the Mechanical, Thermal, and Propulsion domains on the mission, ensuring coherent spacecraft design solutions.

Key responsibilities

• Own the spacecraft propulsion architecture throughout the mission lifecycle.
• Lead the definition and justification of the spacecraft propulsion concept and design.
• Drive system-level propulsion trade-offs involving performance, reliability, operational concepts and mission constraints.
• Establish and maintain propulsion budgets, margins and system allocations.
• Define propulsion subsystem architectures, including fluid systems, pressurization systems and propulsion hardware.
• Lead propulsion sizing analyses, performance assessments and system-level trade studies.
• Define propulsion requirements and interfaces across all spacecraft subsystems.
• Coordinate propulsion analyses required to justify the design and demonstrate compliance.
• Define propulsion verification strategies and support qualification, acceptance and launch readiness activities.
• Assess technical impacts of changes, anomalies and non-conformances affecting the spacecraft propulsion architecture.
• Support subsystem and system design reviews and provide technical leadership for propulsion-related design decisions.
• Lead technical interactions with customers, suppliers, partners and institutional stakeholders.
• Mentor engineers and contribute to the development of propulsion engineering standards and best practices.

Must Have

• 10+ years of experience in spacecraft propulsion engineering.
• Proven experience in spacecraft propulsion architecture or equivalent senior technical leadership positions.
• Strong expertise in spacecraft propulsion systems, including chemical and/or electric propulsion technologies.
• Experience leading propulsion design trade-offs at spacecraft level.
• Strong understanding of fluid systems, propellant management, pressurization systems and propulsion hardware.
• Experience performing propulsion sizing analyses and architecture definition activities.
• Experience managing spacecraft propulsion requirements, interfaces and technical baselines.
• Understanding of subsystem interactions from a system-level perspective.
• Familiarity with spacecraft integration, environmental testing and verification campaigns.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary technical discussions and drive technical convergence.
• Proven track record of successful delivery of complex spacecraft developments.
• Excellent communication, leadership and stakeholder management skills.

Nice to have

• MSc or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related discipline.
• Experience with robotic spacecraft, active debris removal or servicing missions.
• Experience with cold-gas, monopropellant, bipropellant and electric propulsion systems.
• Familiarity with ECSS standards and ESA programmes.
• Experience supporting launch campaigns and in-orbit commissioning activities.
• Knowledge of the thermal and structural impacts of propulsion integration.
• Experience working with international suppliers and industrial partners.
• Strong mentoring and technical leadership experience.Agile, flexible and able to work effectively within geographically distributed development teams.

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