Propulsion and Power Systems Engineer

Powerus; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Powerus is seeking a Propulsion and Power Systems Engineer to own electric propulsion and electrical power across unmanned platforms. Your work will span motor, ESC, and propeller selection, battery pack design, power distribution, and thermal management, with validation on benches and in flight.

Role requires U.S. Person status and a background in propulsion or powertrains for aircraft, vehicles, or robotics.

Qualifications

• Degree in electrical, mechanical, or aerospace engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience with electric propulsion or electric powertrain systems on aircraft, vehicles, robotics, or comparable hardware.
• Working knowledge of lithium battery systems, including pack design considerations, BMS behavior, and safety practices.
• Familiarity with power electronics and power distribution design, including protection and thermal limits.
• Hands-on test experience - instrumenting hardware, capturing data, and drawing conclusions from it.

Responsibilities

• Define propulsion architecture and size motor, ESC, and propeller combinations against mission, endurance, and thrust requirements.
• Design and specify battery packs, including cell selection, pack configuration, BMS integration, and charge and discharge behavior.
• Design power distribution and conversion, covering redundancy, protection, wiring, and bus architecture for flight-critical loads.
• Model and measure vehicle-level energy budgets, and validate predicted endurance against flight data.
• Own thermal management for propulsion and power electronics, from analysis through instrumented testing.
• Build and run bench, dynamometer, and environmental test campaigns to characterize efficiency, margin, and failure behavior.
• Define battery safety, handling, transport, and abuse-response practices with manufacturing and operations.
• Work with manufacturing and supply chain on qualification, sourcing alternates, and design for repeatable build

Skills

Electrical engineering

Aerospace engineering

Electric propulsion

Battery systems

Power electronics

Hands-on testing

Education

Electrical/Mechanical/Aerospace engineering degree

Tools

Dynamometer testing

Data acquisition

Thermal analysis

Job description

Powerus is building a next-generation American autonomous systems platform designed to move, protect, and sustain critical assets in high-consequence environments. The company combines advanced autonomy, manufacturing capability, operational expertise, and strategic acquisitions to support defense, national security, critical infrastructure, and commercial operations globally.

Mission

Our mission is to deliver resilient autonomous technologies that strengthen national security, improve operational safety, and expand the capabilities of organizations operating in complex environments.

Why Join Powerus

Endurance is the number customers ask about first, and it is won in the propulsion and power system - in motor and propeller matching, pack design, wiring losses, and how much heat the airframe can carry away. As Powerus scales manufacturing in North Carolina and California, those choices stop being prototype decisions and become production ones. This role owns the energy path from cell to shaft across a growing family of aircraft. You will set the propulsion architecture, prove it on the bench and in flight, and carry it into a design that can be built repeatably and safely.

About the Role

Powerus is hiring a Propulsion and Power Systems Engineer to own electric propulsion and electrical power across our unmanned platforms. This position requires U.S. Person status, as the work involves access to export-controlled technical data. Your scope runs from motor, ESC, and propeller selection through battery and pack design, power distribution, and thermal management, with responsibility for the endurance and performance the vehicle actually delivers. You will work with airframe, hardware, GNC, manufacturing, and test engineering, and you will validate your own work on dynamometers, bench setups, and flight test.

Responsibilities

• Define propulsion architecture and size motor, ESC, and propeller combinations against mission, endurance, and thrust requirements
• Design and specify battery packs, including cell selection, pack configuration, BMS integration, and charge and discharge behavior
• Design power distribution and conversion, covering redundancy, protection, wiring, and bus architecture for flight-critical loads
• Model and measure vehicle-level energy budgets, and validate predicted endurance against flight data
• Own thermal management for propulsion and power electronics, from analysis through instrumented testing
• Build and run bench, dynamometer, and environmental test campaigns to characterize efficiency, margin, and failure behavior
• Define battery safety, handling, transport, and abuse-response practices with manufacturing and operations
• Work with manufacturing and supply chain on qualification, sourcing alternates, and design for repeatable build

Qualifications

• Must be located in the United States, within commuting distance of Charlotte, NC
• Degree in electrical, mechanical, or aerospace engineering, or equivalent practical experience
• Experience with electric propulsion or electric powertrain systems on aircraft, vehicles, robotics, or comparable hardware
• Working knowledge of lithium battery systems, including pack design considerations, BMS behavior, and safety practices
• Familiarity with power electronics and power distribution design, including protection and thermal limits
• Hands-on test experience - instrumenting hardware, capturing data, and drawing conclusions from it
• U.S. Person status required (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)); this role involves access to ITAR- and EAR-controlled technical data

Preferred Skills

• UAV or eVTOL propulsion experience, including propeller and motor matching
• Experience taking a battery pack or power system from prototype into production
• Thermal modeling or CFD experience applied to electronics or propulsion cooling
• Familiarity with UN 38.3, transport, and other battery certification or compliance requirements
• Experience with high-voltage or high-current design practice and safe test procedures
• Exposure to alternative power sources such as hybrid, generator, or fuel cell systems

Pay range and compensation package

[Pay range or salary or compensation]

Equal Opportunity Statement

Powerus is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and mission-driven workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.