Staff Propulsion Analyst, Engine Performance (Aerospace)

Location: Hybrid work near Denver or Colorado Springs, with some onsite work required. Exceptional candidates outside commuting distance may be considered for remote work within the U.S., with travel to a primary office approximately once per month.

Base salary: $185,000–$280,000 per year, plus equity and benefits.

Company

hirify.global develops autonomous spacecraft, advanced payloads, mission software, and space-based interceptors for space superiority and national security.

What you will do

• Develop integrated one-dimensional engine and thruster cycle models to predict system performance and support architecture trade studies.
• Lead injector analysis and sizing, including atomization, mixing efficiency, and design validation.
• Assess combustion instability using acoustic, analytical, and numerical methods and recommend mitigation strategies.
• Apply CFD and thermal-fluid modeling to combustion dynamics, heat flux, conjugate heat transfer, and regenerative cooling.
• Validate models against hot-fire test data while collaborating with thruster designers and suppliers.
• Build parametric design tools, establish analytical best practices, and mentor propulsion engineers.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
• 12+ years of professional experience in liquid rocket engine or thruster analysis.
• Hands-on experience with integrated engine cycle models using ROCETS, Sinda/Fluint, GFSSP, or comparable tools.
• Experience with injector design, combustion instability assessment, two-phase fluid modeling, conjugate heat transfer, and regenerative cooling.
• Experience across the thruster development lifecycle, from concept studies through hardware qualification.
• U.S. citizenship and eligibility for DoD Secret or TS/SCI clearance are required.

Nice to have

• Master’s or PhD in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
• Experience with Thermal Desktop, Ansys Fluent, Flow-3D, Python, MATLAB, or equivalent tools.
• Experience supporting propulsion test campaigns and validating models against test results.
• Experience with coupled thermo-fluid-structural problems, startup environments, or full vehicle lifecycle development.

Culture & Benefits

• Hybrid work environment with onsite collaboration and approved U.S.-based remote work options.
• Company-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage with HSA/HRA options.
• Flexible time off or accrued PTO, paid holidays, parental leave, and sick leave.
• 401(k), fitness reimbursement, catered lunches and snacks for in-office employees.
• Equity participation as part of total compensation.