Chief Engineer - Spacecraft

Gravitics, Inc•Marysville, WA

2h•$210,000 - $250,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Gravitics is developing an orbital transfer vehicle to carry payloads to high-energy orbits. The Chief Engineer will own the vehicle as its technical authority from architecture through first flight, leading design, development, and integration. The role applies propulsion systems expertise to develop, manufacture, integrate, and deliver a high-delta-v, high-thrust spacecraft. This is a hands-on leadership position that includes leading the product development team, managing suppliers, leading mission and spacecraft analyses, and participating in on-floor integration activities. The Chief Engineer will own the vehicle system architecture, technical baseline, and requirements; lead system-level trades across propulsion, structures, thermal, avionics, GNC, and software; and direct design, development, integration, testing, and flight-readiness efforts. The role also serves as the vehicle's technical authority with customers, launch providers, and government partners, and owns technical risk, schedule, and budget. The role includes architecting a high-delta-v bipropellant propulsion system covering the main engine, reaction control, propellant storage and management, pressurization, and feed. The Chief Engineer will perform and review fluids, thermal, and structural analyses; define and verify system and component behavior, including delta-v and propellant budgets; own detailed hardware requirements; establish qualification and acceptance test strategies; and work with manufacturing to build, integrate, and accept flight hardware. The position also supports propellant loading, launch campaigns, and on-orbit propulsion operations.

Requirements

Direct experience with in-space bipropellant chemical propulsion systems, including at least one system taken from design through qualification and flight.
Demonstrated technical leadership of a spacecraft, stage, or major vehicle subsystem across its full lifecycle.
Experience technically managing an external supplier of engines, thrusters, or other complex flight hardware, including specifications, design reviews, and acceptance.
Ability to understand structural, fluid, and thermal designs from first principles.
Working knowledge of spacecraft systems engineering, including requirements, interfaces, verification, and risk management.
Familiarity with CAD and FEA packages such as NX and NASTRAN or similar.
14 or more years of industry experience.
Bachelor's degree in an applicable field.

Nice To Haves

Experience on an orbital transfer vehicle, kick stage, upper stage, lander, or other high-delta-v spacecraft.
Experience designing test or flight fluid systems for high-pressure gases or liquids.
Hands-on engine or thruster hotfire test experience, including combustion devices.
Familiarity with safety-critical systems, pressure vessels, relief devices, igniters/exciters, and propellant loading operations.
Familiarity with NASA, DoD, and range safety standards for spaceflight propulsion and pressure systems.
Experience with propellant/fluid system analysis tools such as ROCETS, GFSSP, CEA, and TDK.
Experience building and leading small, high-performing engineering teams.
Experience supporting U.S. government customers and ability to obtain a security clearance.

Responsibilities

Own the orbital transfer vehicle's system architecture, technical baseline, and requirements from mission needs through subsystem and component levels.
Lead system-level trades across propulsion, structures, thermal, avionics, GNC, and software, balancing performance, mass, schedule, cost, and risk.
Lead design, development, and integration efforts, including major design reviews, vehicle assembly, integration and test, and flight readiness.
Act as the vehicle's technical authority with customers, launch providers, and government partners.
Own the vehicle's technical risk register, schedule, and budget.
Lead anomaly investigations to determine root cause and drive fixes into design, build, test, and operations.
Architect a high-delta-v bipropellant propulsion system, including the main engine, reaction control, propellant storage and management, pressurization, and feed.
Perform and review fluids, thermal, and structural analyses to define and verify system and component behavior, including delta-v and propellant budgets.
Own detailed requirements for tanks, valves, manifolds, tubing, and thrusters.
Define qualification and acceptance test strategies, from component tests through integrated hotfire and vehicle-level testing.
Work with manufacturing to build, integrate, and accept production hardware for flight.
Support propellant loading, launch campaigns, and on-orbit propulsion operations.
Lead the product development team, manage suppliers, and lead mission and spacecraft analyses.