Hypersonic Missile Vehicle Chief Engineer & Systems Architect

Socket.dev; Berthoud (CO); On-site; USD 175,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited PTO

Parental leave

Medical, dental and vision insurance

401k with company match

Equity grants

Job summary

Ursa Major is seeking a Chief Engineer, Hypersonic Missile & Interceptor to own the Draper Engine Vehicle technical baseline and architecture, ensuring integration of propulsion, structures, avionics, GNC, thermal, and mission systems into a flight-ready solution.

You will lead cross‑discipline teams, chair reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, FRR), and guide design trades, verification, and test from requirements to flight readiness, while partnering with PM, Manufacturing, and Business Development.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering; Master’s or PhD strongly preferred.
• 12+ years in aerospace vehicle development with system ownership.
• Experience as Chief Engineer, Lead Systems Engineer, or Vehicle Architect on a flight vehicle or missile system.
• Deep understanding of propulsion integration, vehicle dynamics, and system trades.
• Leadership in design reviews, test campaigns, and flight readiness.
• Ability to communicate complex technical decisions to executives and customers.

Responsibilities

• Own and maintain the vehicle system architecture, technical baseline, and configuration for the Draper Engine Vehicle.
• Serve as final technical decision authority for vehicle-level design trades, requirements allocation, and risk acceptance.
• Lead vehicle-level systems engineering, including flow-down requirements, interface control, V&V, and configuration management.
• Chair technical reviews including SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, and FRR.
• Partner with Program Management to balance performance, cost, schedule, and risk.
• Support proposals, customer TIMs, and design reviews with government and commercial customers.
• Identify technical risks early and lead mitigation plans through test, analysis, or design iteration.
• Define and approve vehicle-level test strategies including ground testing, qualification, and flight test.

Skills

Propulsion integration

Vehicle architecture

Systems engineering

Technical leadership

SRR/PDR/CDR

GNC

Flight readiness

Executive communication

Education

Master's or PhD preferred

Tools

MBSE tools

Job description

Ursa Major is seeking a Chief Engineer, Hypersonic Missile & Interceptor to own the Draper Engine Vehicle technical baseline and architecture, ensuring integration of propulsion, structures, avionics, GNC, thermal, and mission systems into a flight-ready solution.

You will lead cross‑discipline teams, chair reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, FRR), and guide design trades, verification, and test from requirements to flight readiness, while partnering with PM, Manufacturing, and Business Development.