Propulsion Engineer II

CesiumAstro; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 118,000 - 142,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

company stock options

health

dental

vision

HSA

FSA

life

disability

retirement plans

Job summary

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

The role requires a Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering background, 2+ years of hands-on design/test experience, and strong CAD/analytical skills. Collaborative, autonomous work in a fast-paced environment is expected.

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).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with high attention to detail.
• Willing to take responsibility, work independently and be transparent about your work.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop a variety of liquid rocket engine parts, including loading frames, gimbals, bellows units, and pipelines.
• 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 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.

Skills

CAD tools

Siemens NX

SolidWorks

Flight hardware design

Analytical skills

Independent work

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering

Tools

ANSYS

MATLAB

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.

• company stock options
• health
• dental
• vision
• HSA
• FSA
• life
• disability
• retirement plans

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

Please note: CesiumAstro does not accept unsolicited resumes from contract agencies or search firms. Any unsolicited resumes submitted to our website or to CesiumAstro team members will be considered property of CesiumAstro, and we will not be obligated to pay any referral fees.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.