Propulsion Engineer – Engine Lead

Axiom Space is guided by the vision to build era-defining space infrastructure that drives exploration and fuels a vibrant space economy for the benefit of every human everywhere. Axiom Space is the leading provider of human spaceflight services and developer of human-rated space Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit. Axiom Space operates end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while developing its successor, Axiom Station – a permanent commercial destination in low-Earth orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home.

Axiom Space fosters a work environment inclusive of all perspectives. We are the pioneers of commercial space, leading the transformation of low-Earth orbit into a global space marketplace. Our mission-driven team is seeking a bold and dynamic Propulsion Engineer – Engine Lead who is fueled by high accountability, execution horsepower, and driven to understand our world, science/technology, and life itself, for the benefit of all on Earth and beyond.

POSITION SUMMARY

We are looking for a resilient, high-energy, experienced Propulsion Engineer - Engine Lead to own the end-to-end technical execution of a bipropellant engine assembly from requirements definition through design, build, integration, test, and flight readiness. You will lead cross-functional teams and suppliers to deliver to aggressive cost and schedule targets while maintaining safety and configuration discipline. The ideal candidate combines deep hands-on propulsion hardware experience with strong technical leadership, clear communication, and a bias for execution.

KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own the end-to-end technical execution of a bipropellant engine assembly from requirements through design, build, integration, test, and flight readiness.

• Subject Matter Expert in engine and nozzle design, providing technical authority on architecture, sizing, fluid/thermal/structural analyses, materials/manufacturability, and performance optimization across the full development lifecycle.

• Technical lead responsible for delivering performance, safety, cost, and schedule targets.

• Plan and delegate work across team members and cross-functional teams, lead daily standups, and escalate risks, issues, and blockers to ensure timely execution.

• Plan, schedule, prioritize and execute team scope and goals to meet critical milestones.

• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to less experienced engineers.

• Lead and participate in design and gate reviews with internal and external stakeholders.

• Lead and participate in trade studies, component selection, subassembly design and integration, analyses and tests, and vendor/supplier coordination.

• Utilize modeling, analysis, and simulation tools to estimate system performance and ensure compliance.

• Manage and interface with external vendors on cost, schedule, design, manufacturing, and verification activities.

• Communicating project progress, status, and potential issues to stakeholders and leadership.

• Implementing and maintaining agile project management methodologies throughout the project lifecycle.

• Perform additional job duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS: 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Engineering, Computer Science, or Physics required

• 10+ years of relevant experience

• Experience leading technical teams

• Expertise in combustion, thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid dynamics including familiarity with corresponding analysis toolsets such as ANSYS, Easy5, Fluent, GFSSP, TDK

• Significant experience with engine/thruster design, development, qualification, and integration

• Propulsion component experience including injectors, combustion chambers, nozzles, igniters, thermal management features and interfaces to valves/instrumentation/etc

• Experience developing and executing test campaigns, including test planning, instrumentation selection, and data correlation

• 3D modeling software knowledge, SolidWorks is preferred

• Track record of making things happen in ambiguous, fast-moving environments

• Uses good judgement to problem-