Senior Propulsion Engineer

Gravitics•Houston, FL

About The Position

Gravitics designs and manufactures large-scale orbital structures for commercial, defense, and government missions. The Senior Propulsion Engineer will work across the full product lifecycle of an in-space propulsion system, from design through build and integration, and own major fluid subsystems to develop propulsion systems that operate reliably across missions.

Requirements

At least 5 years of experience in mechanical or aerospace engineering.
Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, or another applicable field.
Working knowledge of propulsion or fluid-system components, such as feed systems, pressurization, valves, or regulators.
Exposure to at least one of the following: liquid or gas propulsion system design; propellant management and fluid handling; hardware assembly, integration, and functional testing; or thermodynamic or 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 tools.
Ability to thrive in a fast-moving environment with evolving requirements and a high degree of ownership.

Nice To Haves

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, including proof/leak testing, hotfire testing, or 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, and/or combustion-modeling tools such as Thermal Desktop, ANSYS Fluent, MATLAB/Simulink, ROCETS, GFSSP, CEA, or TDK.
Experience in high-reliability or safety-critical fluid systems with formal verification and validation practices.
Demonstrated ability to drive complex propulsion hardware from early design through acceptance testing.
Prior experience at launch vehicle, spacecraft, or propulsion-focused organizations.
Genuine enthusiasm for advancing propulsion technology and contributing to next-generation space systems.
Proficient understanding of drafting standards and GD&T (ASME Y14.5).

Responsibilities

Design, build, and test propulsion fluid systems, including feed systems, tank pressurization, propellant management, and associated fluid components.
Own propulsion subsystem architecture elements from concept definition through hardware integration and test.
Lead system-level trade studies evaluating performance, weight, power, and cost.
Plan and execute propulsion integration and test campaigns, including component, subsystem, and full-vehicle testing.
Generate and maintain engineering documentation, including requirements, interface control documents (ICDs), test plans, and fluid system schematics.
Work cross-functionally with structures, thermal, avionics, and GNC teams to ensure propulsion-system compatibility with vehicle-level performance.
Support environmental qualification and acceptance testing, including thermal-vacuum, vibration, and leak/proof-pressure testing.