Lead Mechanical Engineer – Propellant Tank Qualification

Telemetry Today LLC; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 145,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity sharing

Medical, dental, vision benefits

Generous leave

HSA

401(k) matching

Job summary

Quantum Space in Hawthorne, CA is seeking an experienced Mechanical Engineer III – Tank Qualification Lead to own design, qualification, and acceptance of spacecraft propellant tanks and pressurized fluid systems. You will lead tank qualification activities and coordinate cross‑functional teams to meet stringent performance requirements.

You will drive test strategies, evaluate results, and mentor engineers while ensuring flight‑readiness for critical propulsion hardware in a fast‑paced space

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Materials Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 7+ years of experience in mechanical engineering, pressure vessel design, propulsion systems, or aerospace hardware development.
• Experience designing, developing, testing, or qualifying pressure vessels, propellant tanks, or other pressurized aerospace hardware.
• Strong understanding of pressure vessel mechanics, structural integrity, stress analysis, pressure loading, fatigue, fracture mechanics, and failure modes.
• Experience developing pressure vessel qualification plans, test procedures, acceptance criteria, and certification documentation.
• Experience supporting or leading proof pressure, burst pressure, leak testing, and other pressure vessel qualification activities.
• Experience evaluating material properties, manufacturing processes, weld integrity, and material compatibility for pressure‑containing hardware.
• Familiarity with pressure vessel design standards, aerospace structural design requirements, and applicable industry codes and specifications.
• Experience with structural analysis tools such as ANSYS, NASTRAN, Abaqus, or equivalent.
• Experience developing and reviewing mechanical drawings, engineering specifications, interface requirements, and bills of material.
• Ability to interpret test data, correlate analytical models, investigate hardware anomalies, and develop corrective actions.
• Experience coordinating engineering, manufacturing, quality, supplier, and test organizations to achieve hardware qualification milestones.

Responsibilities

• Lead end‑to‑end tank qualification activities for spacecraft propellant tanks and pressure vessels.
• Establish and manage tank qualification requirements, design criteria and acceptance criteria.
• Lead development and evaluation of tank structural designs, pressure boundaries, interfaces, configurations.
• Perform and review pressure vessel structural analyses and failure assessments.
• Develop qualification test strategies including proof, burst, leak, and environmental tests.
• Coordinate tank qualification test campaigns and test readiness reviews.
• Prepare tank qualification reports and certification packages.
• Lead investigations of anomalies, failures, and corrective actions.
• Collaborate with materials, propulsion, manufacturing, and quality teams.

Skills

Mechanical engineering

Pressure vessel design

Propellant tanks

Structural analysis

Leadership

Test leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Materials Engineering, or related field

Tools

ANSYS

NASTRAN

Abaqus

Jama

DOORS

JIRA

Confluence

Job description

Quantum Space in Hawthorne, CA is seeking an experienced Mechanical Engineer III – Tank Qualification Lead to own design, qualification, and acceptance of spacecraft propellant tanks and pressurized fluid systems. You will lead tank qualification activities and coordinate cross‑functional teams to meet stringent performance requirements.

You will drive test strategies, evaluate results, and mentor engineers while ensuring flight‑readiness for critical propulsion hardware in a fast‑paced space