Fluids Engineer I: Space Propulsion Systems

Cowboy Space Corp.; United States; On-site; USD 100,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) retirement savings

Paid time off

10 paid holidays

Paid parental leave

Relocation assistance

Lunch in office

Job summary

Cowboy Space Corp. in the United States is seeking a Fluids Engineer Level 1 to own a critical fluid system from concept through flight.

You will collaborate across propulsion, structures, thermal, avionics, manufacturing, and test operations to design, build, and validate integrated fluid hardware for rocket engines and vehicle systems. This hands‑on role emphasizes rapid iteration and full ownership of fluid hardware, with a salary range of $100,000–$135,000 and a comprehensive benefits

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
• 1+ years of experience designing fluid system hardware for flight vehicles or high‑performance hardware.
• Experience taking hardware from concept through build, integration, and test.
• Strong fundamentals in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, structural mechanics, materials, and manufacturing processes.
• Experience with fluid system analysis: pressure drop and flow sizing, structural analysis of pressure vessels, or thermal‑fluid modeling.
• Proficiency with CAD and creating engineering drawings to ASME Y14.5 GD&T standards.
• U.S. citizen or eligible status (citizenship/Green Card per ITAR).

Responsibilities

• Own your fluid subsystem from concept through design, analysis, test, and flight.
• Drive fluid component and system designs for minimum mass while meeting pressure drop, proof, burst, leakage, cycle-life, and operating-life requirements across ground, ascent, and on-orbit environments.
• Design valves, fluid routing architectures, and fluid storage hardware for propellant, pneumatic, and thermal fluid service on rocket engines and vehicle fluid systems
• Balance performance, manufacturability, cost, and schedule in every design decision.
• Perform analysis — hand calculations, FEA, tolerance stack‑ups — and validate predictions with test and flight data
• Own fluid subsystem layout and integration, ensuring compatibility across propulsion, thermal, and pneumatic systems.
• Define and execute qualification and acceptance test campaigns (proof, burst, leak, flow, cycle life, vibration); author procedures, acceptance criteria, and anomaly dispositions.
• Develop and maintain engineering drawings, models, specifications, interface control documents, and release documentation.
• Work directly on the factory floor with manufacturing and technicians to iterate quickly and resolve build issues in real time.
• Troubleshoot hardware anomalies, perform root cause analysis, and implement design improvements.
• Support engine and vehicle integration, hot‑fire and fill/drain operations, ground system interfaces, post-test inspection, and refurbishment planning.

Skills

Fluid system design

CAD proficiency

Engineering fundamentals

Test & analysis

Flight hardware experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related field

Tools

NX CAD

SolidWorks

CATIA

Creo

Job description

Cowboy Space Corp. in the United States is seeking a Fluids Engineer Level 1 to own a critical fluid system from concept through flight.

You will collaborate across propulsion, structures, thermal, avionics, manufacturing, and test operations to design, build, and validate integrated fluid hardware for rocket engines and vehicle systems. This hands‑on role emphasizes rapid iteration and full ownership of fluid hardware, with a salary range of $100,000–$135,000 and a comprehensive benefits