Senior Propulsion Engineer: Solid Rocket Motors & Equity

Approach Venture; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Approach Venture seeks a Propulsion Engineer to lead design, analysis, prototyping, and testing of advanced propulsion hardware for next‑generation defense platforms. You will own propulsion architecture, high‑pressure hardware, and combustion analysis across the development lifecycle in a hands‑on role.

The engineer will collaborate with a small, technical team to deliver hardware from concept to deployment, shaping product direction and engineering practices while operating with rigorous

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant technical discipline is required.
• Hands-on experience designing propulsion, combustion, or high-pressure fluid systems.
• Experience developing propulsion hardware from concept through testing.
• Experience with solid rocket motors, propulsion test stands, ignition systems, pressure vessels, or related hardware.
• Strong understanding of combustion, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and structural mechanics.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and testing of advanced propulsion systems for aerospace applications.
• Design propulsion architectures including solid rocket motors and gas systems.
• Perform combustion, internal ballistics, mass flow, chamber pressure, and thermal analyses.
• Develop propellant grain geometries and thrust profiles to meet performance requirements.
• Evaluate propulsion trade studies across architectures.
• Design high‑pressure hardware including motor cases, pressure vessels, regulators, valves, and burst disks.
• Analyze structural performance under high‑pressure and high‑acceleration loading.
• Develop propulsion test articles, fixtures, instrumentation, and data acquisition systems.
• Plan and execute static fire tests, pressure testing, and system qualification campaigns.
• Analyze test data and iterate designs through development cycles.
• Model propulsion performance using CFD, FEA, combustion, and thermal tools.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, and controls engineers to integrate propulsion hardware.
• Support ignition system development, actuator integration, safety systems, and sequencing.
• Maintain safe operating procedures with energetic materials and high‑pressure systems.

Skills

Propulsion design

Hands-on engineering

Combustion analysis

High‑pressure systems

Thermal analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related

Tools

NASA CEA

CFD

FEA

MATLAB

Python

ANSYS

OpenFOAM

COMSOL

Job description

Approach Venture seeks a Propulsion Engineer to lead design, analysis, prototyping, and testing of advanced propulsion hardware for next‑generation defense platforms. You will own propulsion architecture, high‑pressure hardware, and combustion analysis across the development lifecycle in a hands‑on role.

The engineer will collaborate with a small, technical team to deliver hardware from concept to deployment, shaping product direction and engineering practices while operating with rigorous