Principal Propulsion Engineer (Aerospace)

TL;DR

Principal Propulsion Engineer (Aerospace): Owning the design, analysis, and qualification of solid rocket motor systems for unmanned aircraft and tactical munitions with an accent on internal ballistics, structural integrity, and thermal performance. Focus on driving static fire test campaigns, scaling production, and ensuring regulatory compliance for next-generation flight systems.

Location: Must be based in the United States and eligible for a U.S. DoD Secret security clearance.

Salary: $211,000 - $260,000 USD

Company

hirify.global is an innovative developer of autonomous unmanned aircraft systems and next-generation defense solutions.

What you will do

• Own the technical design and performance of solid rocket motor systems across multiple concurrent programs.
• Lead internal ballistics, structural, and thermal analysis for motor cases, nozzles, and propellant grains.
• Drive static fire test campaigns, including defining test plans, instrumentation, and anomaly investigation.
• Translate system-level requirements into propulsion subsystem specifications in coordination with airframe and GNC teams.
• Partner with manufacturing and supply chain to ensure design for producibility and high-rate production.
• Represent propulsion technical status to customers, government stakeholders, and leadership.

Requirements

• B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent.
• 8+ years of experience in propulsion system design, analysis, or test.
• Strong experience with solid rocket motor design, internal ballistics, and nozzle design.
• Ability to obtain and hold a U.S. DoD Secret security clearance.
• Experience running static fire or hot fire test campaigns.
• Proficiency in programming or scripting (MATLAB, Python) for modeling and data analysis.

Nice to have

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering or related discipline.
• Experience with air-launched weapons, tactical missiles, or counter-UAS interceptor systems.
• Experience scaling propulsion systems from startup environments to high-rate production.
• Active U.S. DoD Secret or Top Secret security clearance.

Culture & Benefits

• Competitive total compensation package.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance options.
• 401k plan with company match.
• 4 weeks of paid time off annually plus 12 company holidays.
• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge defense technology in a collaborative, high-growth environment.