Senior Propulsion Engineer - Hardware and Bus Systems

Location: On-site in El Segundo, California, United States

Salary: $140,333–$179,314 per year, plus potential stock options and/or long-term cash awards

Company

hirify.global develops commercial space infrastructure, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing systems, reentry capsules, heat shields, and satellite buses, which it builds, integrates, and tests in-house.

What you will do

• Own the architecture, schematics, mechanical design, build, testing, and operation of propulsion hardware and bus-integrated fluid systems.
• Lead propellant loading campaigns and engine test operations across multiple sites, including console operations for development and flight engines.
• Define propellant handling and combustion system processes and ensure commodities and subsystems meet flight specifications.
• Drive the propulsion hardware roadmap, including capability-gap analysis, combustion stability work, and subscale component testing.
• Author technical standards, work instructions, test and fill procedures, engineering documentation, and pass/fail criteria.
• Mentor junior and mid-level engineers, represent propulsion hardware in cross-functional reviews, and lead complex anomaly investigations through resolution.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline; equivalent professional experience may be considered.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience defining, designing, building, and testing propulsion fluid systems for spacecraft or launch vehicles.
• Strong knowledge of pressurized components, tubing, fittings, seals, valves, instrumentation, fluid-system manufacturing, installation methods, and CNC-based tooling.
• Experience authoring and executing ground-test or flight-campaign procedures, including console operations, and proficiency with Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams.
• Familiarity with 91-710 or equivalent range-safety requirements, CAD tools, and PLM software.
• U.S. work authorization and U.S. person status are required for access to export-controlled technology.

Nice to have

• 6+ years of propulsion fluid-systems experience, including high-performance engines such as LOX-rich staged-combustion cycles.
• Experience with cryogenic, hypergolic, or other spacecraft-grade propellants, combustion stability analysis, and subscale component testing.
• Test or launch-site operations experience, range-safety coordination, or certification as a Test Responsible Engineer.
• Technical leadership experience across engine integration, first-stage support, or bus-level propulsion campaigns.
• Experience with regenerative cooling analysis, 1D fluid modeling, CFD, and engineering standards development.

Culture & Benefits

• Full-time employees receive flexible PTO, 12 paid holidays, and 12 weeks of parental leave.
• Company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance, with FSA and employer-matched HSA options.
• 401(k) plan with a 6% immediately vested employer match and incentive equity.
• Relocation support may be available for new hires.
• Daily lunch, twice-weekly dinner, wellness reimbursement, EV charging, and company events.