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Salary: USD 135,000 - 160,000 / annual
Gravitics is building infrastructure for a thriving space economy, designing and manufacturing large-scale orbital structures for commercial and government/defense missions. We are seeking a Senior Propulsion Engineer to own the full product lifecycle of in-space propulsion systems, from design through build and integration.
In this role, you will take ownership of major fluid subsystems and develop propulsion systems that operate reliably across diverse missions. You will design, build, and test propulsion fluid systems including feed systems, tank pressurization, propellant management, and associated fluid components. You will own propulsion subsystem architecture elements from concept definition through hardware integration and test, leading system-level trade studies to evaluate performance, weight, power, and cost.
Key responsibilities include planning and executing propulsion integration and test campaigns (component, subsystem, and full vehicle testing), generating and maintaining engineering documentation (requirements, interface control documents, test plans, fluid system schematics), and working cross-functionally with structures, thermal, avionics, and guidance/navigation/control teams to ensure propulsion system compatibility with vehicle-level performance. You will also support environmental qualification and acceptance testing, including thermal-vacuum, vibration, and leak/proof pressure testing.
This is a hands-on role in a fast-moving environment where you will drive complex propulsion hardware from early design through acceptance testing, with genuine ownership and the ability to thrive amid evolving requirements.
REQUIREMENTS:
- 5+ years of experience in mechanical or aerospace engineering
- Bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, or applicable field
- Working knowledge of propulsion or fluid system components (feed systems, pressurization, valves, regulators, or similar)
- Exposure to one or more of: liquid or gas propulsion system design, propellant management and fluid handling, hardware assembly/integration/functional testing, or thermodynamic/fluid dynamics analysis
- Ability to understand structural, fluid, and thermal designs from first principles
- Familiarity with CAD and FEA packages such as NX and NASTRAN or similar
- Ability to thrive in a fast-moving environment with evolving requirements and high degree of ownership
BONUS QUALIFICATIONS:
- Background in feed system design, pressurant system sizing, or propellant budgeting
- Hands-on experience assembling, integrating, and testing fluid system hardware
- Familiarity with propulsion-specific test environments (proof/leak testing, hotfire testing, pressure system qualification)
- Experience conducting trade studies and optimizing propulsion system performance, weight, and reliability
- Familiarity with combustion, propellant chemistry, or reaction control system (RCS) design
- Experience with CFD, thermal fluid system modeling, combustion modeling tools (Thermal Desktop, ANSYS Fluent, MATLAB/Simulink, ROCETS, GFSSP, CEA, TDK)
- Experience in high-reliability or safety-critical fluid systems with formal verification and validation practices
- Prior experience at launch vehicle, spacecraft, or propulsion-focused organizations
- Proficient understanding of drafting standards and GD&T (ASME Y14.5)
Note: ITAR compliance required—must be U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or eligible to obtain required authorizations from U.S. Department of State.
