Senior Propulsion Engineer serving as the propulsion SME for the V-BAT Fleet Support team, diagnosing escalated engine issues and driving reliability improvements across fielded unmanned aircraft systems.
110k – 170k/yr
On-site6+ YOEHardware Engineering
About the role
Responsibilities
Serve as the propulsion SME for Fleet Support and the primary engineering point of contact for propulsion-related escalations.
Diagnose and resolve engine performance issues, including hard starts, unstable operation, power loss, thermal excursions, endurance degradation, and intermittent behavior.
Troubleshoot engine mechanical and hardware issues, including vibration, wear, leaks, mounting or interface issues, actuator concerns, and component failures.
Investigate fuel and oil system issues, including pressure, flow, filtration, contamination, venting, priming, lubrication, and thermal-management problems.
Analyze flight data, maintenance records, teardown findings, and field reports to identify failure modes and define corrective actions.
Develop troubleshooting procedures, inspection criteria, repair guidance, and return-to-service recommendations for Fleet Support personnel and customers.
Partner with propulsion, air vehicle, quality, manufacturing, and supplier teams to drive permanent corrective actions and reliability improvements.
Capture recurring fleet issues and translate them into engineering recommendations, service actions, and long-term design improvements.
Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
6+ years of experience in aircraft, rotorcraft, unmanned aircraft system, or propulsion engineering.
Strong hands-on experience with engine systems, fuel systems, oil systems, thermal behavior, vibration, and mechanical root-cause analysis.
Experience troubleshooting fielded hardware and working from ambiguous or incomplete failure reports.
Ability to analyze technical data from flight, test, maintenance, and inspection activities.
Strong written and verbal communication skills in cross-functional and customer-facing environments.
Nice-to-Haves
Experience with heavy-fuel or small-aircraft propulsion systems.
Experience supporting deployed, expeditionary, or maritime systems.
Experience with corrective action processes, reliability improvement, or supplier-quality coordination.
Comfort working in fast-paced field environments and supporting customer-site troubleshooting.
Skills
Propulsion EngineeringEngine Systems TroubleshootingFuel SystemsOil SystemsVibration AnalysisThermal ManagementRoot Cause AnalysisFlight Data AnalysisMechanical EngineeringAerospace Engineering
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