Propulsion Engineer - Components

Here at The Exploration Company, we are building spacecrafts for humanity.

As a Propulsion Engineer - Components, you will own the technical follow-up of suppliers and manufacturing partners providing assigned secondary components for a cryogenic rocket engine. These components may include sensors, valves, actuators, mechanisms, or instrumentation hardware supporting the engine.

You will be responsible for ensuring that assigned components are technically mature, tested, qualified, delivered, integrated, and ready to support engine's development and operations. You will work closely with systems engineering, subsystems (pumps, thrust chamber, engine controller), avionics, program management, procurement, quality, PA, supplier quality, AIT/MAIT, test, materials and processes, safety, operations, and the relevant suppliers or manufacturing partners.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the technical follow-up of assigned components during the whole steps from concept to qualification

• Provide hands-on technical support for component design and industrialization, including trade-offs, interface definition, CAD and drawing reviews, design-for-manufacture and assembly, and resolution of technical issues during build and integration.

• Define and maintain the technical baseline for each component, including requirements, interfaces, standards, verification approach, acceptance criteria, configuration, and open technical points.

• Maintain a system-level view of component interfaces and constraints, including mechanical, fluidic, thermal, electrical, command, sensing, cleanliness, materials compatibility, safety, operations, and integration aspects.

• Define and drive development, qualification, acceptance, and integration test strategies, including test objectives, setups, instrumentation, procedures, readiness reviews, execution, data analysis, and closure of findings.

• Review test results and supplier evidence to confirm performance, robustness, lifetime, environmental, interface, safety, production-repeatability, and other applicable requirements are met.

• Define and review relevant test campaigns, including functional performance, leakage, pressure and flow behavior, response time, actuation, thermal and vibration environments, EMC, cleanliness, lifecycle performance, fault conditions, and production repeatability.

• Lead the technical interface with suppliers, manufacturing partners, special-process providers, and test houses, including review of deliverables, drawings, analyses, procedures, inspection evidence, deviations, non-conformances, and test packages.

• Identify, communicate, and manage technical risks, anomalies, and corrective actions, including performance shortfalls, leakage, response issues, cleanliness and materials concerns, lifetime limitations, weak evidence, production variability, delivery risks, and integration constraints.

• Support Engine MAIT/AIT, integration, testing, and operations preparation, including readiness reviews, setup and instrumentation reviews, procedure reviews, test execution, troubleshooting, data assessment, recovery or retest decisions, and the capture of component limitations, monitoring needs, failure responses, and operational constraints.

What We Would Love To See From You

• Engineering background in aerospace, mechanical, propulsion, fluids, electrical, instrumentation, or a related discipline, with experience in spacecraft, launch vehicles, industrial systems, or other safety-critical hardware.

• Experience designing and developing hardware, including CAD, drawings, design reviews, manufacturing, assembly, integration, materials, tolerances, and applicable standards.

• Experience managing the technical follow-up of suppliers and manufacturing partners through development, testing, qualification, delivery, integration, and anomaly resolution.

• Practical knowledge of component requirements, interfaces, verification, qualification, acceptance testing, failure modes, root-cause investigation, and component- or system-level test campaigns.

• Experience supporting AIT or equivalent integration and test activities, and the ability to assess the robustness of designs, manufacturing processes, test approaches, and supplier evidence.

• Familiarity with applicable component standards, design practices, drawings, tolerances, materials, manufacturing processes, and aerospace or industrial standards.

• Ability to work across disciplines, maintain ownership of technical topics, and communicate effectively with engineering, procurement, quality, MAIT/AIT, test, program, suppliers, manufacturing partners, and operations.

• Fluency in English; French and/or German are advantageous.

Skills and Behaviors

• You keep the technical position clear even when ownership, supplier evidence, schedule, or integration constraints are messy.

• You judge component decisions by their spacecraft mission, safety, integration, cost, and schedule impact.

• You make assumptions, evidence gaps, weak test results, open points, deviations, and emerging risks visible early.

• You use testing and objective evidence to drive decisions, while remaining pragmatic about development speed and available resources.

• You balance fast development with configuration, manufacturing, cleanliness, verification, qualification, and safety discipline.

• You are comfortable going into the detail of a component, its interfaces, its test data, and its failure modes while keeping sight of the overall vehicle.

• You build trust with suppliers, partners, engineers, and leadership through facts, clear decisions, and follow-through.

Why you should join us!

What makes us special here at The Exploration Company and why we think you will enjoy working here is:

• We’re Agile - we make decisions fast whilst keeping our goals and systems in mind

• We’re Open and Collaborative - we are transparent about risks and obstacles, so that we can cooperate to overcome them

• We have a lot of Fun - we refuel our energy knowing we are democratising space. It’s a wonderful and rare opportunity, are YOU up for the challenge?

We'd love to hear from you if you wish to be a part of our journey. Please submit your CV now for immediate consideration and we will be in touch shortly.

The Exploration Company is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Relocation assistance is provided for those willing to relocate including visa sponsorship where applicable.

All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, which will be subject to the country, role, and project you applied for. By submitting your application, you acknowledge and agree that any offer of employment may be conditional upon successful condition of this check. The Exploration Company partners with Zinc Work Limited located in the UK (Zinc), a third-party provider, to ensure this process as efficient and transparent as possible.

If applicable, you will receive an email from Zinc upon acceptance of your offer with a link to a secure portal where you can provide the required information to Zinc.