Combustion Engineer (Aerospace Propulsion)

Location: San Luis Obispo, California, United States; on-site

Salary: $115,000–$150,000 for Engineer or $155,000–$195,000 for Senior, plus equity.

Company

hirify.global is a defense technology startup developing next-generation autonomous, scalable, and decentralized defense platforms.

What you will do

• Design, develop, and optimize combustion systems for gas turbine engines, air-breathing propulsion systems, and advanced energy applications.
• Plan, execute, and analyze laboratory and engine-level combustion experiments covering efficiency, flame stability, emissions, ignition, and thermal performance.
• Investigate combustion dynamics, turbulent reacting flows, instability mechanisms, fuel-air mixing, cooling effectiveness, and emissions reduction.
• Develop test plans, instrumentation requirements, and support combustion rig, engine testing, qualification, verification, and validation activities.
• Analyze experimental datasets using statistical and signal-processing methods, and correlate results with CFD simulations and analytical models.
• Collaborate with design, systems, manufacturing, test engineering, and program management teams; prepare technical reports, presentations, and design documentation.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 4+ years of experience in combustion research, propulsion systems, thermal-fluid sciences, or related engineering fields.
• Strong knowledge of combustion fundamentals, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, turbulent reacting flows, and gas turbine combustion.
• Experience designing combustion experiments, analyzing test data, and using laboratory instrumentation, pressure and temperature measurements, and high-speed data acquisition systems.
• Proficiency with MATLAB, Python, or similar engineering analysis tools, plus experience with ANSYS Fluent, STAR-CCM+, OpenFOAM, or other CFD software.
• Employment requires authorization to work in the United States and may require authorization to access ITAR- and EAR-controlled information without export-license sponsorship.

Nice to have

• Master’s or Ph.D. specializing in Combustion, Fluid Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Aerospace Propulsion, or Thermal Sciences.
• Experience with aerospace propulsion or gas turbine development, combustion rig testing, or engine validation programs.
• Knowledge of combustion instability, flame dynamics, combustion acoustics, optical diagnostics, PIV, laser diagnostics, or flow visualization.
• Experience with POD, SPOD, Fourier analysis, modal decomposition, DOE, statistical analysis, or uncertainty analysis.
• Knowledge of aerospace standards and product development processes.

Culture & Benefits

• Competitive base compensation with performance-based incentives and equity participation.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings, and paid time off.
• Funding for continuing education, training, and professional development.
• Work in a multidisciplinary engineering environment focused on rapid innovation and national security.