Senior Fluid Systems Engineer
Alameda
USA
Permanent
Satellite System Engineering
How You’ll Fulfill Your Mission
- System Ownership: Act as the primary technical authority for fluid systems supporting electric propulsion thrusters, from concept through flight operations.
- Propellant Management: Design and develop high-pressure distribution and regulation systems for noble gases and supercritical propellants, ensuring stable and precise delivery to thruster systems.
- Component Selection & Qualification: Specify, evaluate, and qualify solenoid valves, seals, regulators, tubing, and assemblies thereof for compatibility with mission requirements, extreme environments, and long-duration spaceflight.
- Modeling & Analysis: Perform system-level flow, thermal, and structural modeling to predict performance across operational scenarios.
- Testing & Verification: Develop and execute qualification and acceptance test campaigns including proof, leak check, flow characterization, dynamics, and TVAC tests.
- Reliability & Safety: Lead root-cause investigations, implement FMEA and fault-tree analyses, and establish robust reliability margins for mission assurance.
- Cross-functional Integration: Collaborate with thruster design, avionics, module design, and hardware integration teams to ensure seamless system performance.
- Documentation & Compliance: Generate system specifications, test plans, test reports, and technical documentation in accordance with aerospace standards and customer requirements.
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Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering
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Six or more years working on spacecraft or aerospace fluid systems
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Significant experience with high-pressure noble gas systems, with xenon strongly preferred
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Proven ability to work with valves, seals, regulators, and pressure components designed for spaceflight
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Strong CAD and modeling skills
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Experience running test campaigns for flight hardware
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Familiarity with MIL, NASA, and ECSS quality and verification standards
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Strong communication and leadership skills
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Hands-on hardware integration experience, with comfort providing practical feedback to engineers
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Direct electric propulsion experience, especially Hall effect thrusters
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Hands-on hardware integration experience
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Background with cryogenic or high-pressure supercritical fluids
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Experience working under AFSPCMAN 91-710 pressure system requirements
Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

Kimberley Govender

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