Senior Turbopump Engineer — Space Propulsion Leader

Cowboy Space Corp.; Kent, Northern (WA, KY); Hybrid; USD 165,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity ownership

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Paid time off

10 paid holidays per year

Paid parental leave

Relocation assistance

Office lunch & snacks

Job summary

Cowboy Space Corp. in the United States is seeking a senior turbopump engineer to own the design, interfaces, analysis, and flight qualification of turbopump hardware.

You will drive architecture trades, perform FEA and life predictions, and guide the verification plan for propulsion hardware. You will work closely with machinists and technicians on the floor, review designs across levels, and mentor Level I–III engineers to elevate the team's capabilities as you push this critical technology

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related engineering field.
• Strong grounding in turbomachinery fundamentals: hydrodynamic and aerodynamic performance, rotordynamics, secondary flow, and structural life.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD and GD&T, and tolerance stack-ups.
• Experience with structural and thermal analysis, both FEA and hand calculations, validated against test data.
• Experience selecting materials and manufacturing processes for high-stress, high-cycle applications.
• Hands-on experience taking hardware from design through build and test.
• U.S. citizen or permanent resident, or eligible for ITAR-related work.

Responsibilities

• Own turbopump hardware design from concept through hot fire testing and flight.
• Lead architecture trades on pump and turbine, including shaft speed, stage count and bearing/seal arrangements.
• Integrate hydro, aero, structures, rotordynamics, and thermal constraints into a single design definition.
• Perform hand calculations, FEA, rotordynamic models, life prediction for high-stress hardware.
• Drive fabrication and build: vendor engagement, first article review, nonconformance disposition.
• Lead root cause investigations and carry corrective actions into design and build.
• Work with machinists and technicians to improve producibility and iterate quickly.
• Review designs from Level I-III engineers and raise design standards.

Skills

Turbomachinery fundamentals

3D CAD & GD&T

FEA / hand calculations

Materials selection

Hardware design & testing

Rotordynamics

Cryogenic hardware design

Additive manufacturing / casting /Forg

Root cause investigations

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related engineering field

Job description

Cowboy Space Corp. in the United States is seeking a senior turbopump engineer to own the design, interfaces, analysis, and flight qualification of turbopump hardware.

You will drive architecture trades, perform FEA and life predictions, and guide the verification plan for propulsion hardware. You will work closely with machinists and technicians on the floor, review designs across levels, and mentor Level I–III engineers to elevate the team's capabilities as you push this critical technology