Propellant Development Engineer II

Ursa Major; Berthoud (CO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 112,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited PTO

Parental leave

Medical, dental & vision insurance

401k with company match

HSA/FSA

Job summary

Ursa Major in Colorado is seeking a talented researcher to advance propellant development for SRM systems. The role focuses on energetic materials, polymer chemistry, and safety-critical testing in a lab environment.

You will contribute to formulation, mixing, casting, and testing of solid propellants while analyzing data for performance and stability. The position involves scaling laboratory formulations toward production, with emphasis on safety, quality, and collaboration within a

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelors or Masters in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• Foundational Knowledge: 2+ years of experience or relevant coursework or laboratory experience involving energetic materials, polymers, chemical processing, or fluid mechanics.
• Problem solving: Ability to follow engineering guidelines to break down assigned technical problems and execute systematic solutions.
• Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills for documenting technical work and presenting findings to team members.
• Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to work productively within cross-functional engineering teams in a fast-paced environment.
• Safety Mindset: Unwavering commitment to safety protocols required when working with and handling hazardous energetic materials.

Responsibilities

• Support energetics development programs by completing assigned technical tasks to ensure project milestones and schedules are met.
• Prepare status updates for project leads and management on assigned tasks, tracking progress against technical and manufacturing goals.
• Formulation & Testing: Assist in developmental formulation, mixing, casting, and testing of solid propellants to evaluate performance, shelf-life, and stability.
• Technical Growth: Apply foundational knowledge in energetic materials, chemical kinetics, and combustion to assist with technical tasks under senior guidance.
• Data Analysis: Process and analyze material property and test data to verify compliance with established performance requirements.
• Tool & Process Usage: Utilize standardized tools, protocols, and calculation templates to assist in propellant design and evaluation.
• Scale-Up Support: Assist senior engineers in transitioning propellant formulations from laboratory mixing to production scale operations.
• Process Improvement: Participate in optimizing laboratory equipment and processing techniques to support safety, yield, and quality.
• Technical Documentation: Draft detailed test procedures, laboratory reports, design review materials, and manufacturing batch records.
• Failure Analysis Support: Assist in Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and fault tree evaluations for non-conformances and testing anomalies.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with cross functional teams to execute daily operations safely and effectively.
• Safety Adherence: Maintain active participation in hazard analyses, process safety reviews, and local safety audits.

Skills

Energetic materials knowledge

Polymer chemistry

Safety mindset

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelors or Masters in Chemistry / Chemical Engineering / Materials Science / Aerospace Engineering

Job description

The future of aerospace and defense starts here. Ursa Major was founded to revolutionize how America and its allies access and apply high-performance propulsion, from hypersonics to solid rocket motors, satellite maneuvering and launch. We design and deliver propulsion and defense systems that solve the most urgent and critical national security demands.

Ursa Major is currently looking to fill a role in propellant development for SRM systems. This call seeks an individual skilled in research and development to support analysis of solid rocket motor production materials. The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience with formulation or polymer chemistry as well as a strong commitment to safety and quality. This role involves assisting in the setup, operation, and maintenance of hazardous and technical process equipment designated for energetics processing. Individual will be trained to handle energetic/explosive materials. Additional work in expanding experimental development and analysis would be a bonus.

Key Responsibilities

Program Support & Technical Execution

• Project Execution: Support energetics development programs by completing assigned technical tasks to ensure project milestones and schedules are met.
• Reporting: Prepare status updates for project leads and management on assigned tasks, tracking progress against technical and manufacturing goals.

Research, Development & Engineering

• Formulation & Testing: Assist in developmental formulation, mixing, casting, and testing of solid propellants to evaluate performance, shelf-life, and stability.
• Technical Growth: Apply foundational knowledge in energetic materials, chemical kinetics, and combustion to assist with technical tasks under senior guidance.
• Data Analysis: Process and analyze material property and test data to verify compliance with established performance requirements.
• Tool & Process Usage: Utilize standardized tools, protocols, and calculation templates to assist in propellant design and evaluation.

Manufacturing & Process Operations

• Scale-Up Support: Assist senior engineers in transitioning propellant formulations from laboratory mixing to production scale operations.
• Process Improvement: Participate in optimizing laboratory equipment and processing techniques to support safety, yield, and quality.
• Technical Documentation: Draft detailed test procedures, laboratory reports, design review materials, and manufacturing batch records.

Quality, Safety & Investigation

• Failure Analysis Support: Assist in Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and fault tree evaluations for non-conformances and testing anomalies.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with cross functional teams to execute daily operations safely and effectively.
• Safety Adherence: Maintain active participation in hazard analyses, process safety reviews, and local safety audits.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• Foundational Knowledge: 2+ years of experience or relevant coursework or laboratory experience involving energetic materials, polymers, chemical processing, or fluid mechanics.
• Problem Solving: Ability to follow engineering guidelines to break down assigned technical problems and execute systematic solutions.
• Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills for documenting technical work and presenting findings to team members.
• Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to work productively within cross-functional engineering teams in a fast-paced environment.
• Safety Mindset: Unwavering commitment to safety protocols required when working with and handling hazardous energetic materials.

Colorado law requires us to tell you the base compensation range of this role, which is $90,000 - $112,000, determined by your education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities. What we can't quantify for you are the exciting challenges, supportive team, and amazing culture we enjoy.

Classification: Full-time Exempt

Benefits Include: (Please note, Interns are not eligible for benefits)

• Unlimited PTO - Vacation, Sick, Personal, and Bereavement
• Paid Parental and Adoptive Leave
• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Tax Advantage Accounts (HSA/FSA)
• Employer Paid Short and Long Term Disability, Basic Life, AD&D
• Additional Benefit Options Including Voluntary Life and Emergency Medical Transport
• EAP Program
• Retirement Savings Plan - 401k with Company Match

NOTE:

Research suggests that women and BIPOC individuals may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who believes they have the skills and the drive necessary to succeed here to apply for this role.

Must be a U.S. Person (this includes U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents).

Eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance.

We're an equal-opportunity employer. You will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

No outside recruiters, please.