Senior Propulsion Systems Engineer

LeoStella is a state-of-the-art small satellite design and manufacturing company based in the Seattle area. At LeoStella, we are redefining how high-quality satellite constellations are built at scale. Our focus is on developing and using intelligent and agile engineering and manufacturing processes to accelerate the development and production of small-sat constellations, all while lowering costs and increasing on-orbit capabilities.

The work we do at LeoStella is helping organizations and markets change the world by removing the barriers to building satellite constellations. This is an opportunity to join a collaborative, high performing team focused on changing the paradigm in satellite development and production!

Position Description:

LeoStella is hiring a propulsion systems engineer to support its satellite Systems Engineering team. This person would work across all engineering disciplines including hardware, software, and integration and test to design, develop, and deliver spacecraft propulsion solutions for commercial space systems.

As a propulsion systems engineer, you will be responsible for end-to-end design, development, and integration of propulsion hardware. This includes deriving and writing requirements, performing analyses, interacting with suppliers and stakeholders, guiding and performing test and verification efforts, and supporting system validation for on-orbit systems. This position resides within the systems engineering team, and as such these responsibilities also extend to general spacecraft design and development. You will work closely with the design engineering team as well as with software engineers, program teams, supply chain, and integration and test engineers to accomplish your tasks and deliver quality systems that meet stakeholder requirements.

To be successful in this position, you will need to be passionate about spacecraft systems engineering and propulsion engineering. You will be required to work in an agile and dynamic environment with a highly collaborative design team that is motivated to deliver products on schedule that meet key customer performance requirements.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Work within systems engineering as well as with other engineering disciplines to tackle complex problems
• Develop requirements and specifications for spacecraft sub-systems and components
• Develop and maintain configuration control documentation for spacecraft sub-systems and components
• Support design of propulsion sub-systems and components
• Perform test, verification, and validation activities for propulsion sub-systems and components
• Perform analyses pertaining to spacecraft systems engineering and spacecraft propulsion activities such as deorbit analysis, orbit maintenance, collision avoidance, orbit phasing, etc…
• Derive, write, and maintain requirements pertaining to spacecraft and spacecraft propulsion sub-systems and components

Required Qualifications:

• B.S. degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or similar discipline
• 6+ of years’ experience
• 4+ years working with electric or chemical propulsion systems
• 4+ years working in Systems Engineering or adjacent to systems engineering preferred
• Previous experience with spacecraft component design, fabrication, integration, and test
• Must be a US Person (US Citizen or Green Card Holder)

Desired Qualifications:

• Knowledgeable about spacecraft orbital dynamics and propulsion analyses
• Knowledgeable about commercial propulsion offerings for various classes of spacecraft
• Knowledgeable about regulatory requirements pertaining to spacecraft orbit maintenance and deorbit
• Familiar with Model-based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools and approach
• Experience deriving technical requirements and writing and maintaining specifications
• Experience making and maintaining spacecraft technical budgets including Delta-V budgets
• Experience in verification, validation, and testing of electric or chemical propulsion systems

Compensation & Benefits:

• Compensation range is $120-170K and 10% target bonus
  • Your level/title, base salary, and bonus will be determined on a case by case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.
  • Base salary is one part of your total rewards package - you may also be eligible for up to 10+% potential bonuses. Additional employee benefits are detailed below as well.
• Employee Benefits include:
  • Employer-paid Medical, Dental, Vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, short and long-term disability.
  • 401(k) - matching 50% of contributions, up to 6% of your base salary
  • Paid parental leave and maternity-disability leave
• Paid Time Off and Flexible Schedule: You may accrue 156 hours of paid time off per year, in addition to 8 company holidays. You may also have the choice to take Flexible Friday off every other week.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. EEO is the Law Poster. 

LeoStella participates in E-Verify. See Link for details.  See also Right to Work Statement in English and Spanish.