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Propulsion Systems Engineer

Irvine, CA

Join a team where your impact reaches beyond the stars! At Terran Orbital, you’re not just part of the system – you’re a vital force propelling our mission forward. As trailblazers in satellite manufacturing and aerospace innovation, we shatter boundaries daily to deliver groundbreaking solutions that power our nation’s defense and commercial missions. We are a unique, fast growing, and trusted team dedicated to swiftly and efficiently designing, building, launching, and operating state of the art satellites for advanced mission constellations. If you’re driven by purpose, inspired by challenges, and ready to leave your mark on the universe, you’ll find a home and endless opportunities for growth here. Together, let’s redefine what is possible in orbit and beyond!

Terran Orbital is seeking an experienced Propulsion Systems Engineer to join our dynamic team. Reporting to the Integrated Product Team (IPT) Lead - Propulsion, the Propulsion Systems Engineer will grow & support system design and integration of procured or developed systems and work toward developing high-quality, high-performance modules ready for high-volume manufacturing at an affordable price. The Propulsion Systems Engineer will be responsible for supporting a portfolio of Electric Propulsion Systems (Hall effect thrusters, Gridded ion thrusters, Electrospray thrusters, etc.) that include thrusters, cathodes, PPUs, feed systems, tanks, etc.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

  • Responsible for overseeing procurements of propulsion systems/components and providing technical/supplier oversight to ensure product delivery
  • Responsible for executing product development, and supporting product production, and post-delivery support working with manufacturing, mission assurance, AI&T, and supplier management
  • Participating and leading the technical discussions with customers and suppliers to ensure mission success
  • Lead and take responsibility for technical reviews to ensure appropriate milestone maturity meets internal and external expectations
  • Managing requirements to ensure maturity, feasibility, proper flow-down and traceability, requirements verification, and requirements validation
  • Perform mission, system, and vehicle level trade studies to balance risk, cost, and performance
  • Supporting assembly, integration, and test activities including build procedures, test plans/procedures, and other verification and validations execution activities
  • Develop systems engineering artifacts that support requirements and architecture development; modeling and simulation; interoperability; verification and validation testing; and enterprise deployment and capability monitoring
  • Support Propulsion team in executing product development processes & planning
  • Champion product improvements to achieve efficient high rate-production

Qualifications and Skills

  • Bachelor's degree in engineering
  • 2+ years of experience of industry experience with product development and a demonstrated reputation for driving business goals and objectives to completion
  • Experience in building and testing EP Systems (Hall effect thrusters, Gridded ion thrusters, Electrospray thrusters, Hollow cathode electron sources)
  • Experience working within R&D and production environments
  • Experience in development and qualification of space qualified power systems
  • Strong leadership & team building skills, candidate must be able to lead and motivate cross functional teams as well as have proven experience in a team environment and interfacing successfully across organizational boundaries
  • Exhibited capability to foster an environment which enables application of continuous improvement, novel thinking, and fresh ideas to business challenges resulting in creative and competitive solutions.
  • Experience in Program/Project management of new product development and existing product lines
  • Ability to define and utilize metrics, manage external suppliers, and manufacturing
  • U.S. Citizenship with ability to obtain and maintain DoD security clearance

Additional Differentiators

  • Master’s degree in engineering
  • Experience in systems engineering & integration of spacecraft systems
  • An understanding of GSFC-STD-7000 General Environmental Verification Standard (GEVS), and SMC-S-016, Test requirements for launch, upper stage and space vehicles

Your actual level and base salary will be determined case-by-case and may vary based on the job-related qualification, knowledge, skills, education, and experience. In addition to base salary, we offer 100% covered medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401(k) match, Flexible Time Off (FTO), covered life insurance, maternity and paternity leave, tuition reimbursement, employee referrals, and lots of swag! 

Salary Range

$90,000 - $130,000 USD

 Benefits

  • 100% Company-paid comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents
  • 401(k) Match
  • Flexible Time Off (FTO)
  • Education Reimbursement
  • Competitive Paid Parental Leave

About Terran Orbital 

Terran Orbital is a leading manufacturer of satellite products primarily serving the aerospace and defense industries. Terran Orbital provides end-to-end satellite solutions by combining satellite design, production, launch planning, mission operations, and on-orbit support to meet the needs of the most demanding military, civil, and commercial customers. Learn more at www.terranorbital.com

Physical Demands

An employee must meet the physical demands described to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. In performing the duties of this job, the employee is routinely required to sit or stand for long durations of time, in addition to bending, reaching, and walking. This would require the ability to lift or move objects up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift or move objects up to 25 pounds. This position is generally sedentary, with substantial computer usage.

Work Environment

The job operates in a professional office environment but in a manufacturing company. This job routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and scanners.

Disclaimers

To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. In addition, please note that this position may require a current United States National Security clearance or eligibility for such a clearance.

Terran Orbital is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. We consider applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or membership in any other group protected by federal, state, or local law.

If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at hr@terranorbital.com.

Terran Orbital does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or staffing firms. To conduct business with Terran Orbital, a Master Services Agreement (MSA) must be executed and confirmed prior to submitting any information relating to a potential candidate. Without a signed MSA, Terran Orbital shall not be responsible to any individual or entity for any payment relating to any form of fee or compensation.

And, in the event that a resume or candidate is submitted by a recruiter, an employment agency, or a staffing firm without a fully executed MSA, Terran Orbital has the unrestricted right to pursue and hire any of those candidate(s) without any legal or financial responsibility to the recruiter, agency, and/or firm. 

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