President, Liquid Systems

 

The future of aerospace and defense starts here. 

Ursa Major was founded to revolutionize how America and its allies access and apply high-performance propulsion, from hypersonics to solid rocket motors, satellite maneuvering and launch. We design and deliver propulsion and defense systems that solve the most urgent and critical national security demands. 

Ursa Major is seeking an exceptional leader to serve as President, Liquid Systems. This is a critical executive role responsible for the full lifecycle of our liquid propulsion portfolio. This leader will oversee: Cryogenic Engines, Hypersonics, In-Space, and Core Engineering (encompassing analysis, test, avionics, and other shared services). Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, the President of Liquid Systems will set technical strategy, drive execution, and build the teams and culture needed to deliver breakthrough propulsion products at speed and scale. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Strategic ownership of all liquids products at Ursa. This includes long term planning (LRP and AOP), team alignment, P&L ownership, and execution of Ursa’s vision. 

• Operational leadership and growth of a cross functional program management and engineering team. 

• Front end capture and engagement efforts to grow reliable bookings. 

• Transformational leadership of Ursa’s flagship hypersonic platform, HAVOC, converting it into a high rate, low cost, program of record hypersonic weapon/interceptor/target. 

• Continued, 100% mission success reputation for in-field performance of all liquids products. 

Strategic Leadership 

• Develop, refine, and execute the long-range technical and business strategy for all liquid systems programs, aligned with Ursa Major's corporate mission and growth objectives. 

• Serve as a key member of the executive leadership team, contributing to company-wide strategy, resource allocation, and organizational development. 

• Represent Ursa Major's liquid systems capabilities to customers, investors, government partners, and the broader aerospace community. 

• Champion a culture of safety, customer focused innovation, engineering rigor, and velocity across all teams. 

Organizational Oversight 

• Provide executive leadership and direction across: Cryogenic Engines, Hypersonics, In-Space, and Core Engineering. 

• Set clear goals, priorities, and performance expectations for each IPT and its leadership team. 

• Recruit, develop, and retain world-class engineering and program leadership talent across the liquid systems portfolio. 

• Foster cross-functional collaboration between the IPTs, , Operations, and Business Growth teams.  

 Program & Product Execution 

• Own end-to-end delivery of liquid propulsion products from concept through production and field support. 

• Drive appropriate program management and risk practices to meet schedule, cost, and performance commitments across all active programs. 

• Ensure robust systems engineering, test, and verification processes that maintain the highest standards of safety and reliability. 

• Lead technical reviews, milestone gates, and risk management processes across the liquid systems portfolio. 

Customer & Stakeholder Engagement 

• Serve as the senior technical and executive point of contact for key customers in commercial space, Department of Defense, and other government programs. 

• Lead business development activities in partnership with the CEO and commercial teams, including proposal strategy, customer negotiations, and contract execution. 

• Build and maintain relationships with government agencies including the U.S. Air Force, Space Force, DARPA, NASA, and other key stakeholders. 

Financial & Operational Management