Senior Fluid Systems Engineer – Electric Propulsion -San Francisco Bay Area – Full-time Onsite
Darwin has partnered with a leading space company and is looking on their behalf for a Senior Fluid Systems Engineer to own the architecture, design, testing, and sustainment of high-pressure noble gas distribution systems that feed spacecraft electric propulsion hardware. This is an excellent opportunity to lead the development of critical fluid systems that directly enable spacecraft propulsion performance.
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.
Experience of Interest
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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
Desired Multipliers
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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
If you enjoy solving complex problems in real time, working with cutting-edge spacecraft systems, and ensuring high-pressure fluid systems operate safely and reliably in flight, you’ll fit right in here.
Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.
Kimberley Govender