Spaceflight Propulsion Engineer - Mid-Career (BT-26210)

Bastion Technologies; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

9/80 schedule with every other Friday

Travel with project assignments

Job summary

Bastion Technologies, Inc. is seeking an experienced propulsion/pressure-system engineer in Houston to analyze and validate propulsion hardware for spacecraft systems.

You will develop thermal and fluid models, review designs, and guide tests and certification activities with cross‑functional teams. Qualified candidates have a bachelor's degree in engineering, 5+ years of related experience, and proficiency in Python or MATLAB.

Qualifications

• Requires a bachelor's degree in engineering.
• Demonstrated knowledge of fluid mechanics and thermodynamics.
• Experience analyzing propulsion, pressure, fluid, or thermal systems.
• Experience supporting hardware development, testing, integration, certification, or operation.
• Experience processing, analyzing, and interpreting engineering or test data.
• Ability to communicate risks and defend technical positions.

Responsibilities

• Apply propulsion and spacecraft pressure-system principles to analyses.
• Independently perform or lead propulsion and pressure-system analyses.
• Develop and validate fluid-flow, pressure-system, thermodynamic, and thermal models.
• Develop and maintain analysis tools using Python or MATLAB.
• Lead technical trade studies and assess system architectures.
• Review designs, drawings, materials, fabrication methods and acceptance criteria.
• Support propulsion hardware development from concept through flight readiness.
• Coordinate technical activities with NASA, suppliers and international partners.

Skills

Fluid mechanics

Thermodynamics

Heat transfer

Materials

Structures

Machine design

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

Python

MATLAB

Thermal Desktop

Creo

Job description

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Apply fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, materials, structures, and machine-design principles to propulsion and spacecraft pressure systems.
• Independently perform or lead propulsion and pressure-system analyses.
• Develop, review, and validate fluid-flow, pressure-system, thermodynamic, and thermal models.
• Develop and maintain engineering analysis and data-processing tools using Python, MATLAB, or similar software.
• Evaluate system architectures and lead or contribute to technical trade studies.
• Establish technical assumptions, document analysis methods, and communicate results and limitations.
• Assess component-to-system and system-to-vehicle technical effects.
• Provide technical oversight of propulsion components, suppliers, and hardware-development activities.
• Review designs, drawings, material selections, fabrication methods, assembly processes, and acceptance criteria.
• Support or lead propulsion hardware development from concept through fabrication, assembly, test, integration, and operation.
• Plan, coordinate, witness, or evaluate component- and system-level tests.
• Review acceptance-test data, qualification reports, verification evidence, and flight-readiness documentation.
• Evaluate test results and determine whether the available evidence satisfies technical and program requirements.
• Lead or support investigations of anomalies, nonconformances, and unexpected system behavior.
• Develop technically defensible recommendations for issue disposition and risk mitigation.
• Review and coordinate closure of variances, nonconformance reports, hazard reports, changes, waivers, reuse documentation, and certification action items.
• Develop verification approaches and support formal certification of propulsion systems and flight hardware.
• Assess pressure-system safety, cleanliness, contamination-control, and hardware-integration requirements.
• Support propulsion-system integration with spacecraft, test vehicles, or small satellites.
• Coordinate technical activities with NASA program and project offices, spacecraft organizations, suppliers, prime contractors, sub-tier contractors, and international partners.
• Organize and track concurrent document reviews, technical issues, risks, and action items.
• Delegate or coordinate reviews with appropriate hardware and technical points of contact.
• Prepare and present technical status, risks, nonconformances, and recommendations to program stakeholders.
• Participate in mission simulations, vehicle checkouts, propulsion console operations, and flight support.
• Provide technical guidance and mentoring to less experienced engineers.
• Travel to supplier, test, integration, launch, or program locations when required.
• Other duties as required.

REQUIRED:

This position has been posted at multiple levels (must meet minimum level indicated). Depending on the candidate's experience, requirements, and business needs, we reserve the right to consider candidates at any level for which this position has been advertised.

• This position requires US Citizenship or Permanent Resident status due to the sensitivity of customer related information.
• This position requires experience in the space industry or Department of Defense/Department of War.
• Must have a bachelor's degree in engineering.
• Must have a minimum of 5 years of recent and related work experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of fluid mechanics and thermodynamics.
• Working knowledge of heat transfer, engineering materials, mechanical systems, structures, or machine design.
• Experience analyzing propulsion, pressure, fluid, or thermal systems.
• Experience supporting hardware development, testing, integration, certification, or operation.
• Experience processing, analyzing, and interpreting engineering or test data.
• Ability to evaluate requirements, technical drawings, analyses, test plans, test results, and verification evidence.
• Ability to investigate technical issues and develop defensible engineering recommendations.
• Ability to assess component-level issues in a broader system and vehicle context.
• Ability to organize and coordinate multiple technical activities and priorities.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to communicate risks, uncertainties, and dissenting technical positions appropriately.
• Willingness and ability to transition among branch assignments as organizational needs change.
• Ability to work effectively in laboratory, supplier, integration, mission-operations, and office environments.
• Ability and willingness to travel when required by the assignment.

DESIRED:

• Experience with spacecraft propulsion or aerospace pressure systems.
• Experience with human-rated spacecraft or other safety-critical flight systems.
• Experience with valves, regulators, tanks, filters, sensors, pressure vessels, tubing, and related mechanical hardware.
• Experience with component or system-level test planning, execution, and data evaluation.
• Experience with acceptance, qualification, thermal-vacuum, vibration, or other environmental testing.
• Experience with flight-hardware integration and certification.
• Experience investigating anomalies, nonconformances, or unexpected test results.
• Experience preparing or evaluating hazard reports, variances, waivers, risks, changes, or certification packages.
• Experience overseeing suppliers, prime contractors, or sub-tier contractors.
• Experience with requirements development and verification.
• Knowledge of pressure-system safety, hardware cleanliness, and contamination-control requirements.
• Proficiency with Python, MATLAB, or comparable analysis tools.
• Experience with Thermal Desktop or comparable thermal-analysis software.
• Experience with CAD software, including Creo or a comparable platform.
• Experience with propulsion console operations, mission simulations, vehicle checkouts, or flight support.
• Experience working with configuration-management, work-order, issue-tracking, or document-control systems.
• Experience developing small-spacecraft propulsion systems or rapid-turnaround flight hardware.
• Experience leading technical tasks or mentoring early-career engineers.

WORK LOCATION:

• This position is located onsite and offers a 9/80 schedule with every other Friday off; some travel may be required.
• Schedules are subject to change based on the requirements of the position and/or customer needs.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS REQUIRED:

All Bastion employees must be able to pass a national agency check and some positions require clearance and will require an extensive background verification/check process.

DRUG AND ALCOHOL SCREENING REQUIRED:

All Bastion employees must be able to pass a pre-employment drug screen and are required to participate in periodic random drug and alcohol screenings.

STANDARD BASTION REQUIREMENTS:

• Must have experience with Microsoft Office Suite, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and TEAMS.
• All of Bastion's employees must be team players with strong work ethics and must be culture oriented.
• Able to communicate effectively, verbally and in written form, with internal and external customers.
• Able to follow company programs, processes, procedures, practices, requirements, goals, and objectives.
• Must be organized with good time management skills and must be able to work outside normal schedule and adjust schedule to meet peak periods and surge requirements.
• Generally, an office environment, but can involve inside or outside work depending on the task.
• Regular attendance in accordance with an established work schedule is critical.

BASTION BENEFITS:

Bastion offers a wide range of benefits for their full-time employees; medical, prescription, dental, vision, AD&D, disability benefits, life insurance, retirement 401k, vacation, sick pay, holidays, flexible work schedules (when available), along with many other options. We also support career advancement through professional training and development.

ABOUT BASTION:

Bastion offers career opportunities with competitive benefits, exciting possibilities for advancement, and an exceptional work environment; the well-being of our employees is a priority, and our flexibility allows our employees a great work life balance. Our culture is based on strong business ethics, integrity, and professionalism. Our team members are known for their initiative and high-quality work. When it comes to our employees, we value, respect, and help them grow in their careers.

WORKPLACE EXCELLENCE:

At Bastion, we are passionate about our people and our safety culture. Individual thoughts, opinions, and perspectives bring value and help us develop solutions for challenging problems, they make us more inventive, and more resilient.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected status.

Bastion participates in e-Verify.