Staff Propulsion Engineer (Test)

Portal Space Systems • Bothell, WA

5d • $165,000 - $215,000

About The Position

Portal Space Systems is hiring a test-focused Staff Propulsion Engineer to lead propulsion test capability and practices supporting thruster, feed system, and pressurant system development. The role develops and commissions propulsion test stands and facilities, including a large vacuum chamber, and defines and executes hazardous test operations involving high pressure, vacuum, ammonia, and high-power optical and induction systems.

The engineer establishes propulsion test standards, mentors Propulsion Engineers, and partners with hardware owners, suppliers, and propulsion leadership to plan test campaigns, quickly establish sufficient test capability, generate trustworthy data, and guide hardware development from early testing through qualification. The position also works with Fluid/Thermal analysis to define pre-test predictions and correlate models with test data, and develops DAQ, control, automation, and data-processing approaches that accelerate hardware decisions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 6 years of hands-on propulsion or fluid-system hardware testing experience.
• Experience developing and commissioning test stands or test facilities.
• Experience defining and executing high-pressure, vacuum, and hazardous test operations.
• Experience leading test campaigns and mentoring engineers.
• Strong foundation in fluid systems, vacuum systems, and high-energy test hardware, with first-principles reasoning applied to test design, safety, and anomaly resolution.
• Ability to lead test scopes, prioritize risk-reducing tests, and establish safe, repeatable test practices.
• Ability to mentor engineers, establish test standards, and collaborate with hardware owners to deliver propulsion test campaigns.
• Bias toward establishing fast, sufficient solutions that produce useful data early and iterating toward the intended final state.
• Willingness to solicit and provide peer review, document procedures and results clearly and concisely, and communicate implications for hardware.

Nice To Haves

• Proficiency with NI DAQ hardware and software.
• Experience using AI-assisted tools for test automation and data processing.
• Experience with ammonia or other toxic propellants.
• Experience with high-power optical or induction systems.
• Experience standing up large vacuum chambers or thruster test facilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead propulsion test planning across thruster, feed system, and pressurant system development, coordinating priorities, schedule, and resources with hardware owners and propulsion leadership.
• Establish and maintain team standards for test procedures, hazardous operations, test readiness reviews, data quality, and test reporting.
• Mentor Propulsion Engineers in test planning, execution, and hazardous operations.
• Facilitate test readiness and post-test reviews and help hardware owners document and communicate results.
• Guide propulsion test capability investments, balancing immediate sufficient capability with longer-term infrastructure needs.
• Own HEX Thruster test campaigns from planning and procedure definition through execution, data review, and reporting.
• Stand up and commission a large vacuum chamber facility, including pumping, feedthroughs, instrumentation, and safety systems.
• Integrate and safely operate the high-power optical and induction systems that drive the thruster.
• Define thruster instrumentation and diagnostics for measuring thrust, propellant flow, temperatures, and pressures.
• Define and execute hazardous operations procedures for ammonia, high pressure, vacuum, and high-power systems.
• Develop and commission test stands for feed-system and pressurant-system component and system-level testing.
• Support development and qualification testing of valves, regulators, tanks, and flow-control hardware in partnership with hardware owners.
• Partner with Fluid/Thermal analysis to define pre-test predictions and correlate models with test data.
• Define test-stand DAQ and control architectures and develop AI-assisted automation and data processing to rapidly turn test data into hardware decisions.

Benefits

• Company equity as a long-term incentive; potential bonuses.
• Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage with premiums paid 100% by Portal.
• 401(k) retirement plan.
• Paid parental leave.
• Accrual of three weeks of paid vacation.
• 12 or more paid holidays per year.
• Sick time.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior