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Salary: USD 253,000 - 336,000 / annual
Anduril Industries, a defense technology company, seeks a Principal Propulsion Engineer to lead solid rocket motor (SRM) integration for advanced air vehicles and missile platforms. This is a senior technical leadership role within the Air Dominance & Strike Propulsion Integration team, responsible for the full development lifecycle from concept through flight test.
Key responsibilities include:
- Lead or serve as key contributor in selection, architecture, and integration of Solid Rocket Motors, ignition systems, Thrust Vector Control (TVC) systems, and ordnance on missile platforms and air vehicles
- Design, fabricate, and test prototype components, structural interfaces, and thrust vectoring/ignition control systems
- Plan, instrument, and execute ground static fire, environmental, and integration tests of solid rocket propulsion systems
- Coordinate with SRM vendors, develop strategic partnerships, and manage development projects
- Lead or support critical hardware demonstrations with customers
- Contribute to CAD design for structural integration, motor cases, nozzles, blast tubes, and aerodynamic/structural interfaces
- Travel to vendor sites, test sites, and test ranges as needed
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree or higher in Mechanical, Aerospace, or Electrical Engineering
- 15+ years of propulsion engineering experience on tactical missiles, launch vehicles, or air vehicles
- Professional experience with Solid Rocket Motors for defense or aerospace applications
- Mastery of rocket internal ballistics, performance modeling, and grain design; ability to influence SRM OEM design decisions
- Served as Chief Engineer or ultimate technical authority on a major solid rocket propulsion program
- Experience identifying and selecting strategic SRM suppliers, managing OEM relationships, and establishing qualified supply chains
- Experience defining comprehensive propulsion test programs (static fire testing, environmental qualification, hazards classification, acceptance, flight-test readiness) and troubleshooting system-level anomalies
- Experience advising executive leadership on technical risks, representing the company to customers/government agencies, and mentoring mid-to-senior level engineers
- Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance
Preferred qualifications include NX/Teamcenter, Python, MATLAB; hands-on SRM testing experience; prior work at an SRM OEM; knowledge of TVC systems, Ignition Safety Devices, ordnance systems, telemetry/flight termination systems; experience with sensitive munitions testing; and active U.S. Top Secret clearance.
