Propellant Development Engineer II — Energetics & SRM

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

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