Lead Propulsion Test Engineer (Aerospace)

Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA; in-person collaboration at the Playa Vista office.

Company

hirify.global manufactures satellite buses at scale through software, vertical integration, and hardware designed for manufacturing.

What you will do

• Build, lead, and develop a team of propulsion test engineers and technicians.
• Design, build, commission, and operate test stands for thrusters, flow controllers, PPUs, and integrated propulsion systems.
• Own vacuum test infrastructure, including chambers, pumping systems, thermal and cryogenic capability, instrumentation, maintenance, and capacity planning.
• Develop scalable acceptance-test infrastructure and processes for high-rate propulsion production.
• Manage test capacity, scheduling, throughput, turnaround, data quality, budgets, vendors, and build-versus-buy decisions.
• Establish safety standards and lead development, qualification, production, launch-campaign, and anomaly-resolution testing.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical engineering, or a related technical field.
• 10+ years of test engineering experience, including significant experience with propulsion, vacuum, or other high-energy hardware.
• Experience designing, building, and commissioning test stands or facilities with instrumentation, data acquisition, controls, and GSE.
• Hands-on experience with vacuum facilities, pumping systems, chamber operations, and vacuum instrumentation.
• Experience leading and developing engineers or technicians, and managing schedules, capacity, throughput, and data quality.
• Must be a U.S. Person: U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by ITAR.

Nice to have

• Master’s or Ph.D. in a related engineering field.
• Experience with electric propulsion hardware, plasma or plume diagnostics, thrust measurement, and performance characterization.
• Experience scaling high-rate production test infrastructure and automated test systems.
• Experience with environmental testing such as vibration, TVAC, or EMI/EMC.
• Experience with range safety, pressure systems, SSCMAN, or AFSPCMAN 91-710 requirements.

Culture & Benefits

• Fast-growing startup with more than $500M in funding and equity participation.
• Company-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents, plus life insurance.
• Paid vacation, paid holidays, parental leave, and childcare reimbursement for work-related travel.
• 401(k) plan with employer matching.
• World-class Playa Vista office, catered lunches, snacks, office events, and equipment for productive work.