Senior Propulsion Engineer

About the Role

GITAI is developing solid rocket motors in-house to support demanding space and national security missions. We are looking for a hands-on Senior Propulsion Engineer who can take technical ownership of a critical area within our solid rocket motor development program. Depending on your expertise, you will lead a specific area of propulsion development, from requirements and design through manufacturing, testing, and performance validation. You will be responsible for the technical success of your area while working closely with mechanical, manufacturing, avionics, controls, and test teams to deliver a fully integrated rocket motor. This is a hands-on engineering role with significant technical leadership and decision-making responsibility.

Areas of Technical Ownership

Depending on your expertise, you may lead one of the following areas:

• Propellant & Internal Ballistics: Propellant formulation, combustion characteristics, grain design, motor performance, processing methods, manufacturing consistency, and quality control.
• Insulation / Liner / Ablation: Thermal protection materials, insulation and liner design, material selection, bonding processes, thermal analysis, ablation testing, and manufacturing validation.
• Ignition / Nozzle / TVC: Ignition system performance, nozzle design and performance, erosion and thermal behavior, thrust vector control, and integration with mechanical and controls systems.
• Motor Integration, Build & Test: Motor assembly and integration, configuration management, test planning and execution, performance-data analysis, failure investigation, and design validation.

We are looking for deep expertise in at least one of these areas, not experience across all of them.

Key Responsibilities

• Take technical ownership of your assigned area, including requirements, design decisions, performance targets, technical risks, and validation.
• Lead the development, manufacturing, and testing of propulsion hardware, materials, or processes relevant to your expertise.
• Define technical requirements, acceptance criteria, and verification methods for your area.
• Analyze test results, investigate failures, identify root causes, and drive design or process improvements.
• Make technical tradeoffs involving propulsion performance, reliability, manufacturability, safety, and development speed.
• Work directly with engineers and technicians during manufacturing, assembly, integration, and hot-fire testing.
• Provide technical direction, review engineering work, and guide other engineers within your area of expertise.
• Work closely with other engineering teams to resolve technical challenges, manage interfaces, and ensure your work integrates successfully into the complete rocket motor system.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science, or a closely related technical field.
• 5+ years of relevant professional experience in solid rocket propulsion, energetic materials, combustion, thermal protection, or closely related propulsion hardware development.
• Demonstrated ability to independently lead the technical development of at least one of the areas listed above, from development through manufacturing and testing.
• Deep technical understanding of your area of expertise, including its underlying physics, engineering constraints, and validation methods.
• Hands-on experience developing, manufacturing, testing, or validating propulsion hardware, materials, or processes.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze technical problems, make independent engineering decisions, and implement improvements based on test results.
• Ability to work effectively across engineering disciplines and deliver results under aggressive development schedules.
• Ability to work onsite in Torrance, CA, and travel to remote test sites as required.
• U.S. citizenship is required due to the nature of the national security programs this role may support and potential security clearance requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience developing or testing solid rocket motors or their major subsystems.
• Specialized experience in propellant chemistry, internal ballistics, thermal protection, ignition systems, nozzle performance, thrust vector control, or motor integration and testing.
• Experience planning and executing static-fire tests, analyzing motor performance, or investigating propulsion failures.
• Experience developing manufacturing processes and improving quality or repeatability of propulsion hardware or materials.
• Experience taking propulsion hardware from early development through qualification or flight readiness.
• Experience reviewing technical work, guiding other engineers, or leading the development of a specialized propulsion subsystem.
• Experience working in small, vertically integrated hardware teams with rapid design-build-test cycles.

Location & Employment Details

• Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt
• Location: Torrance, CA (onsite). Travel to test sites (including Mojave and the greater Los Angeles area) is expected based on program needs.
• Salary Range: $155,000 – $200,000 per year + equity (commensurate with experience)
• Typical Work Hours: Monday to Friday, approximately 9:00am – 6:00pm (onsite). Flexibility is expected based on mission schedules and program needs.

Benefits

• Health Insurance – Platinum medical plan with 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees; 90% for dependents
• 401(k) Plan – Company match up to 3.5%, with traditional and Roth options
• Equity – Stock option eligibility depending on role
• Relocation Support – Available for qualifying positions
• Time Off – 12 paid holidays per year, 12 days of paid vacation per year, and paid sick leave (in accordance with applicable law)
• Office Perks – Free snacks and drinks, plus regular team events
• Mission-Driven Culture – Work alongside passionate teammates on real space hardware
• Cutting-Edge Work – Direct access to next-gen space robotics and flight hardware

GITAI does not accept unsolicited resumes from staffing or recruiting agencies. We work only with recruiting partners that have been specifically engaged by GITAI. No fees will be paid for resumes submitted without a prior agreement.

LA salary range 155000 - 200000 USD