Staff Stage Development Engineer, Vehicle Systems and Test (Aerospace)

Location: Long Beach, California, United States; travel to test and launch sites is required, with flexibility for shifted schedules and weekend work during critical milestones.

Salary: $164,000–$246,000 USD per year, plus salary and equity-based compensation.

Company

hirify.global develops launch vehicles and manufacturing systems, including the Terran R rocket for delivering customer payloads to orbit.

What you will do

• Own stage test campaigns end to end, including test planning, sequence development, campaign execution, data review, and hotfire console operations.
• Work hands-on with rocket hardware and troubleshoot technical challenges in real time.
• Drive systems integration through requirements decomposition, verification activities, operational plans, and Concepts of Operations for testing, hotfire, and launch campaigns.
• Lead risk adjudication and mitigation planning through qualification, acceptance, and hotfire testing.
• Support subsystem troubleshooting, partner investigations, engine analysis and simulation, and trade studies.
• Travel to test and launch sites and support critical milestone schedules, including weekend work when required.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related field.
• 8+ years of relevant engineering experience.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Technical aptitude and a basic understanding of mechanical, fluids, and electrical engineering disciplines.
• Ability to collaborate across functions and support integrated vehicle development and testing.

Nice to have

• Graduate degree in engineering or a related field and 10+ years of relevant experience.
• Experience designing, manufacturing, assembling, and testing complex aerospace systems.
• Leadership or coordination experience in multidisciplinary engineering projects.
• Ability to communicate complex technical problems clearly to broader audiences and lead through influence.

Culture & Benefits

• High-autonomy environment with ownership and responsibility for outcomes.
• Cross-functional collaboration across propulsion, manufacturing, software, avionics, and vehicle engineering.
• Competitive salary and equity.
• Generous paid time off and sick leave, parental leave, and an annual learning and development stipend.
• Opportunity to work on the development, testing, flight, recovery, and reuse of the Terran R vehicle.