2025 Propulsion Engineer - Member of Technical Staff

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation’s space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space— delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you’ll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators. Join us and take your place in space.

At Aerospace, we are committed to providing an inclusive and diverse workplace for all employees to share in our common passion and aspiration – to carry out a mission much bigger than ourselves.

The Vehicle Systems Division (VSD) sits at the center of the ideas and data behind current and future systems supplying innovative research and development; technical evaluations during the acquisition process; conceptual and detailed design; assembly, integration, and test; and operational support. Comprised primarily of highly-trained mechanical and aerospace engineers, VSD provides national expertise in the areas of vehicle engineering; guidance, navigation, and controls; robotics; electro-mechanical devices; embedded systems; fluid mechanics; propulsion; thermal control; orbital mechanics; mechanisms; structures; structural dynamics; and dynamic environments.

The Propulsion Department within VSD develops and evaluates cutting-edge propulsion technologies and systems for current and future government and commercial applications. The motto of the department is “We Deliver”; we deliver timely, objective, and actionable technical advice so that programs can execute efficiently toward mission success.  In this position you will perform technical evaluation and assessment of propulsion systems for high-priority space missions.  Your work will potentially involve propulsion system development, manufacturing, test, and operations for multiple programs.  You must have a strong technical foundation and be willing to learn a broad range of new technologies and systems, and effectively communicate results and recommendations to inform critical decisions.

Work Model

This is a full-time position based in El Segundo, CA, offering a hybrid work model that combines at least three regular onsite workdays and some remote flexibility as the business needs allow.

What You’ll Be Doing  

• Evaluating propulsion system design, performance, and applications, and assisting in the development of new propulsion systems and component technology

• Developing new and existing tools and analyses to assess the performance of space propulsion systems in ground test and flight

• Identifying, assessing, and helping mitigate hardware and operational risks associated with components, systems, and interfaces

• Providing real-time support to customer test, flight, and anomaly resolution efforts

• Participating in technical interchange meetings, hardware reviews, flight data reviews, and other similar activities to assess flight readiness of propulsion systems

• Participating in multidisciplinary engineering and project teams

• Preparing reports and presentations to communicate results and recommendations to Aerospace program offices, government personnel, and other customers

What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements: 

• Masters degree from an accredited college/university program in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or other discipline. (pursuing or conferred within last 12 months) 

• 0-1 years of industry experience

• Completed coursework or professional experience in the following:

  • Thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer

  • Fluid mechanics, including compressible flow

  • Propulsion system design, combustion/reacting flows, or mechanical systems

  • Fundamentals of structural analysis and materials

  • Engineering design

• Experience with and/or knowledge of rocket propulsion system design and modeling

• Proficiency with standard office software, engineering tools, and scientific/technical programming environments and languages such as MATLAB and Python

• Willingness to travel domestically to support customer needs, approximately 10-15% of time

• This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance, which is issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance

How You Can Sta