Senior Propulsion Engineer — Raptor Combustor Design & Flight

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 215,000; Full time

Job summary

SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA is seeking a Sr. Propulsion Engineer (Raptor Combustion Devices) to own combustor hardware development from concept through flight operations.

You will drive design changes for reliability, performance, and manufacturability, coordinating with peers to meet high‑level engine requirements. The role requires a mechanical/aerospace/astronautical background, 4+ years in rocket hardware, and strong data analysis and CAD capabilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, or astronautical engineering.
• 4+ years of experience working with rocket or jet engine hardware or high‑pressure fluid systems in design, analysis, or experimental capacity.
• Willingness to travel ~10% for hardware testing and launch operations.
• Demonstrated ability to organize and motivate a team to achieve goals.

Responsibilities

• Own combustor hardware design and execution from concept through testing and flight.
• Drive design changes to improve reliability, performance, and manufacturability.
• Coordinate cross‑functional teams to meet engine and vehicle requirements.
• Develop test requirements and oversee test campaigns and data analysis.
• Analyze test/flight data and iterate designs for improvements.
• Make go/no‑go decisions on hardware performance during operation.

Skills

Combustor design

Test campaigns

Data analysis

Programming (Python/MATLAB/C/C++)

CAD (NX/SolidWorks)

GD&T

Thermal/Fluid/Structural analysis

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, or astronautical engineering

Master’s degree (preferred) in mechanical, aerospace, or aeronautical/astronautical engineering

Tools

Siemens NX

SolidWorks

ANSYS

Fluent

Star-CCM+

Job description

SpaceX in Hawthorne, CA is seeking a Sr. Propulsion Engineer (Raptor Combustion Devices) to own combustor hardware development from concept through flight operations.

You will drive design changes for reliability, performance, and manufacturability, coordinating with peers to meet high‑level engine requirements. The role requires a mechanical/aerospace/astronautical background, 4+ years in rocket hardware, and strong data analysis and CAD capabilities.