Electric Propulsion Lead — Hall Thruster Systems

ExoTerra Resource LLC; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 180,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Discretionary annual bonus

Paid time off (PTO)

Health benefits

Other benefits

Job summary

ExoTerra seeks a senior Electric Propulsion Manager to lead the Propulsion engineering team responsible for sub-kilowatt Hall thrusters, propellant flow control, and pressure management systems. The role demands strong functional leadership, independent problem solving, and effective delegation across the team.

The successful candidate will oversee lifecycle development, drive verification plans, and collaborate with Program Managers to align resources with priorities, while shaping a

Qualifications

• Master's degree in engineering or equivalent technical field.
• 7+ years of experience in the design, development, and flight of electric propulsion systems, including at least 4 years with Hall thrusters.
• Domain expertise in one or more areas of electric thruster development.
• Proven experience across the electric thruster development lifecycle.
• Understanding of low-cost electric thruster manufacturing and acceptance testing.
• Leadership or management experience with mentoring.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience designing for the space environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Hall-effect thruster and propellant systems development team.
• Provide technical oversight of functional area and review staff work for technical integrity.
• Conduct annual performance reviews, promotion recommendations, and disciplinary actions in coordination with HR.
• Mentor and train staff; establish and track individual development goals.
• Coordinate with Program Managers and IPT Leads to determine resource needs and assign staff based on company priorities.
• Lead engineering and failure review boards on topics within functional area.
• Manage Hall thruster test facility development and utilization.
• Develop Hall thruster and propellant systems verification and validation plans.
• Define manufacturing and test plans to produce low-cost Hall thrusters.
• Collaborate with other subsystem team members on Hall thruster component development.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Technical communication

Project management

Systems engineering

Education

Master's degree in engineering or equivalent

Ph.D. in a relevant field (desirable)

Job description

ExoTerra seeks a senior Electric Propulsion Manager to lead the Propulsion engineering team responsible for sub-kilowatt Hall thrusters, propellant flow control, and pressure management systems. The role demands strong functional leadership, independent problem solving, and effective delegation across the team.

The successful candidate will oversee lifecycle development, drive verification plans, and collaborate with Program Managers to align resources with priorities, while shaping a