Electric Propulsion Engineer - Take a Hall Thruster from Lab Prototype to Flight

El Segundo, CA | On-site

Opportunity Summary

We are hiring an Electric Propulsion Engineer to lead development of our Hall effect thruster. You will take an early prototype, redesign it for strong performance on non-traditional propellants, prove it out in vacuum chamber testing, and drive it toward a flight-qualified unit.

You will work closely with our electrical and electromechanical engineers on the power processing unit and propellant flow system, and you will have real ownership over the core technology of the company.

About Us

We are a seed-stage, venture-backed aerospace company in the Los Angeles area developing plasma propulsion that lets satellites stay in lower orbits for longer and maneuver far more freely than they can today. Our work is funded by venture investors and multiple Department of Defense and federal research contracts, and we are moving from lab prototypes toward our first flight hardware for national security and commercial customers.

Job Duties

• Redesign the existing Hall thruster prototype to improve thrust, specific impulse, efficiency, and lifetime
• Build and test thruster variants that run on reactive, non-traditional propellants
• Plan and run test campaigns at outside vacuum facilities, then reduce and report performance data
• Model magnetic circuits and plasma behavior to guide design changes
• Select materials for plasma-facing components that hold up to erosion and chemical attack over long missions
• Partner with electrical engineering on power processing unit requirements, design, and integrated testing
• Work with electromechanical engineering on the propellant flow control system
• Iterate quickly from prototype to flight-qualified hardware, including qualification and lifetime testing

Qualifications

• Degree in aerospace, mechanical, or electrical engineering, physics, or a related field
• Hands-on experience designing, building, and testing Hall effect thrusters
• Strong foundation in plasma physics and a clear understanding of thruster failure modes
• Experience with magnetic field simulation tools such as FEMM or COMSOL
• Experience designing and building spaceflight hardware
• Proficiency in Python for analysis and test data
• Proficiency in SolidWorks
• U.S. citizen with the ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret clearance

Preferred Experience

• Graduate degree with research in electric propulsion or plasma physics
• Vacuum chamber operations and thrust stand, probe, and plume diagnostics
• Cathode design and erosion or lifetime modeling
• Materials science background for plasma-facing components
• Flight qualification experience on electric propulsion systems
• Experience at an early-stage space startup or national laboratory

Why Join Us

• Own the thruster at the center of the company's technology
• Move from design change to test result in weeks, not years
• Learn from a founding team with deep electric propulsion expertise
• Meaningful early-stage equity
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k), and unlimited paid time off

Compensation Details

$120,000 - $175,000 + equity