Senior Hall-Effect Propulsion Engineer

Astra Space Inc.; Alameda (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Health, vision, dental insurance

401K matching

Lunch and snacks provided

Job summary

Astra Space Inc. is seeking a Senior Electric Propulsion Engineer to own major areas of Hall-effect thruster design, analysis, and test for spacecraft propulsion.

This journey-level role requires deep knowledge of electric propulsion and the ability to work independently while guiding junior engineers. The ideal candidate will have a solid plasma physics background, hands-on thruster testing experience, and proficiency in modeling tools.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in spacecraft propulsion engineering, with hands-on experience in electric propulsion hardware.
• Complete knowledge of Hall-effect thruster design principles, including discharge chamber design, magnetic circuits, and cathode integration.
• Full understanding of plasma physics, ionized gas dynamics, and electric propulsion practices within the discipline.
• Hands-on experience planning and executing thruster test campaigns, including performance, plume, and wear testing.
• Strong modeling & simulation skills using tools like COMSOL, ANSYS, SPICE, MATLAB/Simulink, or PIC codes.

Responsibilities

• Design, analyze, and test Hall-effect thrusters for spacecraft propulsion.
• Conduct system-level trade studies balancing thrust, efficiency, Isp, mass, power, and lifetime for LEO/GEO missions.
• Develop analytical and numerical models to predict thruster performance.
• Plan and execute thruster test campaigns and correlate results with models.
• Collaborate with spacecraft systems engineers to define interfaces and integration requirements.
• Propose and implement design improvements to enhance performance, lifetime, and manufacturability.
• Mentor junior engineers and prepare technical reports and test plans.
• Support propulsion performance data and trade studies for mission reviews.

Skills

Hall-effect thruster design

Plasma physics

Modeling & simulation

Test planning & execution

Independent problem solving

Technical communication

Education

Aerospace Engineering

Physics

Tools

COMSOL

ANSYS

SPICE

MATLAB/Simulink

PIC codes

Job description

Astra Space Inc. is seeking a Senior Electric Propulsion Engineer to own major areas of Hall-effect thruster design, analysis, and test for spacecraft propulsion.

This journey-level role requires deep knowledge of electric propulsion and the ability to work independently while guiding junior engineers. The ideal candidate will have a solid plasma physics background, hands-on thruster testing experience, and proficiency in modeling tools.