Propulsion Engineer II

Roman Health Pharmacy LLC; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 118,000 - 142,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

CesiumAstro in California is seeking a Propulsion Engineer to lead design, development, analysis, and testing of liquid rocket engine hardware. You will own subsystems from concept to flight readiness.

You will collaborate across mechanical, aerospace, and controls teams, perform CFD/FEA, generate technical documentation, and develop test programs to optimize designs. A Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering and 2+ years of relevant experience are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
• 2+ years experience in mechanical design, development, fabrication, or test.
• Hands-on CAD proficiency: Siemens NX or SolidWorks.
• Experience with flight hardware design and early-stage vehicle architecture.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and detail-oriented skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop liquid rocket engine parts (frames, gimbals, bellows, pipelines).
• Own requirements definition, architecture trades, and system integration.
• Create technical docs, reports, and contribute to PDR/CDR.
• Perform CFD/FEA analyses to assess performance and integrity.
• Develop and execute tests, analyze data, and optimize designs.
• Collaborate with mechanical, aerospace, and controls teams to deliver flight-ready hardware.

Skills

Analytical skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Siemens NX

SolidWorks

Job description

Please Note: To conform with the United States Government Space Technology Export Regulations, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., conditional resident, asylee or refugee (protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

At CesiumAstro, we are developers and pioneers of out-of-the-box communication systems for satellites, UAVs, launch vehicles, and other space and airborne platforms. We take pride in our dynamic and cross-functional work environment, which allows us to learn, develop, and engage across our organization. If you are looking for hands-on, interactive, and autonomous work, CesiumAstro is the place for you. We are actively seeking passionate, collaborative, energetic, and forward-thinking individuals to join our team.

We are seeking a Propulsion Engineer to lead the design, development, analysis, and testing of critical liquid rocket engine hardware and propulsion subsystems. This role offers the opportunity to take ownership of complex flight hardware from concept development through qualification and flight readiness.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design and develop a variety of liquid rocket engine parts, including loading frames, gimbals, bellows units, and pipelines. Perform calculations and analyses with team support.
• Own requirements definition, architecture trades, and system-level integration for assigned subsystems.
• Generate technical documentation, including reports, specifications, and contributions to PDRs and CDRs.
• Perform CFD and FEA analyses to evaluate performance parameters such as pressure drops and hydraulic characteristics and mechanical integrity under operating conditions.
• Develop and execute test programs, analyze experimental data, and apply findings to optimize designs.
• Collaborate across mechanical, aerospace, and controls engineering teams to deliver flight-ready hardware.

JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• 2+ years of experience with mechanical design, development, fabrication, assembly, or test.
• Hands-on proficiency in CAD tools (Siemens NX, SolidWorks).
• Demonstrated expertise in structural or mechanical design for flight hardware.
• Experience in early-stage vehicle architecture and design trades.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with high attention to detail.
• Willing to make mistakes, take responsibilities, work independently and be transparent about your work.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Prior experience designing a variety of liquid rocket engine parts, including loading frames, gimbals, bellows units, and pipelines.
• Practical experience in test bench setup and performance diagnostics.
• Hands-on engineering (Full-stack: computer to wrench to broom).
• Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T).
• Familiarity with aerospace safety and reliability practices.
• Experience in a start-up or rapid development environment.
• Experience with tools such as ANSYS and MATLAB

$118,000 - $142,000 a year

CesiumAstro considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills. Full-time employment offers include company stock options and a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life, disability and retirement plans.

CesiumAstro is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard torace, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.