Director/VP Engineering, Spacecraft Propulsion Systems

Orbital Arc Corporation; Texas; On-site; USD 100,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Unlimited PTO

401k with company match

Parental leave

Job summary

Orbital Arc Corporation in Houston, TX is seeking a Director or VP of Engineering to lead our growing hardware and propulsion team through thruster development toward flight qualification and production. This player-coach role combines hands-on engineering with strategic leadership in a fast-paced space startup environment.

You will recruit, mentor, and retain top engineers, establish rigorous processes, and partner with the CEO to define technical roadmaps, schedules, and risk management while

Qualifications

• 10+ years of relevant experience in the space industry.
• Experience taking hardware from design to flight-ready product under constrained budgets and timelines.
• Hands-on expertise in one or more of electrical, thermal, fluid systems, or general aerospace engineering.
• Proven ability to lead, mentor, and grow engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow the engineering team as Director/VP.
• Mature and guide thruster development, qualification, and productization from TRL 3 to TRL 6.
• Collaborate with the CEO on design requirements and optimization for performance and manufacturability.
• Own and execute engineering work in your depth area until the team is fully built.
• Establish engineering processes, documentation standards, and design reviews.
• Mentor onboarded engineers and raise the technical bar across the team.
• Foster disciplined engineering practices and a culture of calm competence.
• Drive test, integration, and flight qualification campaigns.
• Ensure compliance in EAR/ITAR-regulated environment.

Skills

Electrical engineering

Thermal engineering

Aerospace engineering

Leadership

Education

Advanced degree in engineering

Job description

Orbital Arc Corporation in Houston, TX is seeking a Director or VP of Engineering to lead our growing hardware and propulsion team through thruster development toward flight qualification and production. This player-coach role combines hands-on engineering with strategic leadership in a fast-paced space startup environment.

You will recruit, mentor, and retain top engineers, establish rigorous processes, and partner with the CEO to define technical roadmaps, schedules, and risk management while