Chief Propulsion Engineer, Orbital Transfer Vehicle

Gravitics; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 210,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Gravitics is seeking a Chief Engineer to own the orbital transfer vehicle from architecture through first flight, leading all design, development, and integration activities. You will apply your propulsion expertise to develop, manufacture, integrate and deliver a high delta-v spacecraft.

This hands-on leadership role requires steering the product team, managing suppliers, conducting mission and spacecraft analyses, and guiding floor-level integration and flight readiness.

Qualifications

• Direct experience with in-space bi-propellant chemical propulsion systems and flight qualification.
• Demonstrated technical leadership of a spacecraft, stage, or major vehicle subsystem.
• Experience managing external engines or thrusters suppliers, including specifications, design reviews, and acceptance.
• Ability to understand structural, fluid, and thermal designs from first principles.
• Working knowledge of spacecraft systems engineering: requirements, interfaces, verification, and risk management.

Responsibilities

• Own the orbital transfer vehicle's system architecture, technical baseline and requirements from mission needs to subsystems.
• Lead system-level trades across propulsion, structures, thermal, avionics, GNC, and software balancing performance, mass, schedule, cost and risk.
• Direct design, development, integration, major design reviews, assembly, integration and test and flight readiness.
• Act as technical authority with customers, launch providers and government partners.
• Own risk register, schedule and budget for the vehicle and drive fixes from anomaly investigations.

Skills

Propulsion systems

Technical leadership

Supplier management

First principles analysis

Systems engineering

CAD/FEA experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Tools

NX

NASTRAN

Job description

Gravitics is seeking a Chief Engineer to own the orbital transfer vehicle from architecture through first flight, leading all design, development, and integration activities. You will apply your propulsion expertise to develop, manufacture, integrate and deliver a high delta-v spacecraft.

This hands-on leadership role requires steering the product team, managing suppliers, conducting mission and spacecraft analyses, and guiding floor-level integration and flight readiness.