Senior Staff Propulsion Engineer (TVC) (X-BAT) (R4160)
Serves as Responsible Engineer for Thrust Vector Control (TVC) system on X-BAT, owning full lifecycle from design to flight testing. Requires 7+ years in aerospace propulsion, Python proficiency, and expertise in nozzle dynamics and mechanical integration.
About the job
Responsibilities
- Act as the single-threaded owner for the TVC system, accountable for all technical decisions from concept to flight.
- Define and manage system requirements, performance goals, and mechanical/electrical interfaces.
- Design and integrate vectoring mechanisms with the engine and surrounding structure.
- Lead ground and flight testing of the TVC system, including instrumentation planning, data collection, and performance evaluation.
- Analyze control authority, vectoring bandwidth, and dynamic response across the flight envelope.
- Collaborate with the controls team to shape vectoring logic and ensure closed-loop system performance meets CONOPS requirements.
- Own fault management, failure investigations, and system reliability strategies.
- Represent the TVC system in design reviews, technical checkpoints, customer briefings, and leadership updates.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline.
- 7+ years of experience in aerospace propulsion or flight control systems, with relevant experience owning subsystem development.
- Deep understanding of nozzle dynamics, actuation systems, mechanical integration, and structural/thermal constraints.
- Demonstrated experience in hardware development, test planning, and flight test support.
- Strong proficiency in Python for performance analysis, data processing, and model correlation.
- Familiarity with tools such as ANSYS, FEA, or thermal/fluid modeling for mechanism and system validation.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with TVC or control effector systems on UAVs, tactical aircraft, or rocket platforms.
- Familiarity with low-bypass turbofan engines and integration constraints near hot-end propulsion hardware.
- Experience collaborating on control logic development, transient response shaping, and actuator tuning.
- Proficiency with Siemens NX and Teamcenter for CAD and configuration control.
- Background in failure modes analysis, margin modeling, and system validation strategies.
- M.S. or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering or a related discipline.
Skills
Python, Ansys, FEA, Siemens Nx, Teamcenter, Thrust Vector Control, Nozzle Dynamics, Actuation Systems
Similar jobs
Hardware Engineering jobs
Shield AI
Seattle, WA
Leads technical development, industrialization, and recovery efforts for aerospace mechanical suppliers, ensuring manufacturing readiness, quality, capacity, and production performance. Requires a bachelor's degree, 7+ years of regulated-manufacturing experience, strong aerospace process knowledge, and the ability to obtain a U.S. security clearance.
OpenAI
San Francisco, CA
Tests and validates AI data center hardware across component, board, rack, and system levels, diagnosing electrical, thermal, power, and high-speed interconnect issues. Requires 10+ years of hardware testing experience, advanced test instrumentation expertise, and automation skills.
Shield AI
Seattle, WA
Design production PCB layouts for complex digital, analog, RF, high-speed, and power electronics used in aircraft. The role requires 10+ years of PCB layout experience and expertise in stack-ups, manufacturability, signal and power integrity, and Altium Designer.
Carbon
Sunnyvale, CA
Leads complex customer application programs from concept through production readiness for Carbon’s additive manufacturing technology. Requires 8+ years in product development or design, strong CAD/CAE and computational design skills, manufacturing expertise, and cross-functional leadership.
Dandy
United States
Leads mechatronic architecture and system integration for high-precision robotic manufacturing machines, from prototyping through production. Requires 8+ years of machine-building experience, advanced robotics and motion-control expertise, and an engineering degree.