Senior Propulsion Engineer, UAS Flight Systems

Zone 5 Tech; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 124,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Life insurance

401k with match

Paid time off

Holidays

Job summary

Zone 5 Technologies in the United States is seeking a Propulsion Engineer to support design, analysis, and testing of propulsion systems across Aero products, including air-launched effects and missiles. You will work across the product lifecycle from concept through production, collaborating with Airframe, GNC, and Manufacturing.

The role emphasizes solid rocket motor design, internal ballistics, structural and thermal analysis, and propulsion performance modeling.

Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 3+ years of experience in propulsion system design, analysis, or test.
• Proficiency in at least one of internal ballistics, structural analysis, thermal analysis, or nozzle design.
• Familiarity with static fire or hot fire test campaigns and data reduction.
• Programming or scripting experience (Python, MATLAB).
• Ability to work in cross-functional teams; influence through standards.
• US Person (ITAR) and ability to obtain DoD clearance.

Responsibilities

• Support the design and analysis of propulsion systems (solid primary; liquid or hybrid as programs require) across programs, from early concept through qualification.
• Perform internal ballistics, structural, and thermal analysis of motor cases, nozzles, propellant grains, and igniters.
• Develop propulsion performance models—thrust profiles, specific impulse, and motor integration effects—and contribute models and trade studies to system design.
• Support static fire, hot fire, and flight test campaigns: planning, instrumentation, data reduction, and anomaly investigation.
• Integrate propulsion subsystems with airframe, avionics, and launch/release mechanisms with cross-functional teams.
• Advise design engineers on hardware fundamentals—load paths, thermal protection, joints and seals, tolerancing—and coordinate with Manufacturing on producibility.
• Contribute to propulsion design standards for solid rocket motors and related systems.
• Present findings at design reviews (PDR, CDR, TRR) and internal discussions.

Skills

Propulsion design

Internal ballistics

Thermal analysis

Solid rocket motor design

Python MATLAB

Cross-functional teamwork

Education

BS in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

MS in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering (preferred)

Tools

OpenMDAO

ModelCenter

Job description

Zone 5 Technologies in the United States is seeking a Propulsion Engineer to support design, analysis, and testing of propulsion systems across Aero products, including air-launched effects and missiles. You will work across the product lifecycle from concept through production, collaborating with Airframe, GNC, and Manufacturing.

The role emphasizes solid rocket motor design, internal ballistics, structural and thermal analysis, and propulsion performance modeling.