Full-Time

Instrumentation Engineer

Venus Aerospace

Venus Aerospace

51-200 employees

Develops hypersonic propulsion for terrestrial transport

No salary listed

No H1B Sponsorship

Houston, TX, USA

In Person

US Citizenship Required

Category
Electrical Engineering (1)
Requirements
  • Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent hands-on test experience (In absence of a degree, 7+ years of relevant experience)
  • 3+ years of experience in instrumentation, controls, or test engineering
  • Hands-on experience with signal conditioning and data acquisition systems
  • Strong understanding of Measurement uncertainty and sampling theory; Filtering, noise, grounding, and EMI; Sensor selection and integration
  • Solid understanding of sensor signal types and wiring, including: Voltage, mV, differential voltage, and 4–20 mA outputs; Bridge-based sensors; IEPE / charge accelerometers; Digital I/O and low/high-side switching; Thermocouples and RTDs; Pulse and frequency signals
  • Practical experience installing and troubleshooting: Pressure and differential pressure transducers; Thermocouples and RTDs; High-speed accelerometers; Load cells and strain-gauge sensors; Flowmeters; Mechanical limit switches; Solenoid valves; Power supplies; NI PXI, cDAQ, and cRIO systems; VFDs
  • Tools & Equipment Experience: Power supplies; Digital multimeters and signal generators; Oscilloscopes; Crimp tools and precision cutting tools; Soldering and rework equipment; Heat guns and strain relief tools; Torque tools for sensor installation; Labeling and harness management tools
  • Comfort working in a fast-paced, hardware-focused environment
  • Excellent organizational skills, coupled with strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, and the demonstrated capacity to work both independently and collaboratively within cross-functional teams
  • Willingness and ability to work outdoors in support of testing and fabrication activities; safely lift and transport up to 40 pounds; and adapt to evolving test, development, and operational requirements
Responsibilities
  • Own the design, analysis, development, integration, and maintenance of test department electrical and instrumentation systems used across a wide range of applications.
  • Play a critical role on a multidisciplinary team responsible for defining how complex aerospace hardware is instrumented, measured, and validated.
  • Select, integrate, and validate sensors for low-speed and high-speed data acquisition systems
  • Perform signal conditioning, including excitation, amplification, filtering, isolation, and scaling of raw sensor outputs
  • Verify correct sensor operation through power checks, continuity, polarity, and calibration
  • Design and fabricate wiring harnesses and instrumentation interfaces
  • Integrate instrumentation with mechanical, fluid, inert gas, and cryogenic systems
  • Develop robust test setups for large- and small-scale hardware
  • Generate and revise electrical and instrumentation schematics for test stands
  • Modify existing structures to meet testing requirements
  • Generate test procedures for new systems and calibration of existing systems
  • Review test data to identify issues, anomalies, and trends
  • Support grounding, shielding, and EMI mitigation efforts
  • Install, wire, and troubleshoot test instrumentation systems
  • Communicate with the Software team to support automated testing and analysis
  • Support commissioning and maintenance of test infrastructure and equipment
  • Perform additional tasks as needed to support test and development operations
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience in aerospace, propulsion testing, or flight test
  • Familiarity with LabVIEW, MATLAB, Python, DIAdem
  • Familiarity with Confluence, Jira, and Microsoft Office Suite
  • Experience with high-speed or transient data acquisition
  • Experience operating in cryogenic or high-temperature environments
  • Background supporting hazardous test operations
  • Strong cross-functional communication during live test operations
  • 3+ years of experience with CAD modeling software
  • 3+ years of experience in hardware testing environments
  • 3+ years of experience with fluid and/or mechanical system design

Venus Aerospace focuses on making hypersonic travel possible for terrestrial use, aiming to enable one-hour global transport. The core product is a cost-effective hypersonic engine designed to power aircraft capable of extremely high speeds. The engine technology is developed to be sold or licensed to aircraft manufacturers or airline operators, generating revenue through B2B sales. Unlike others in the field, Venus emphasizes affordability and practicality, backed by a team with strong rocket science and engineering backgrounds. The goal is to shorten travel times globally while improving safety and transforming how people and goods move around the world.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Series A

Total Funding

$23M

Headquarters

Houston, Texas

Founded

2020

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Lockheed Martin Ventures investment accelerates RDRE scaled production.
  • Pam Melroy's board role strengthens federal defense contract pursuits.
  • $3.9M Texas grant funds Stargazer hypersonic vehicle development.

What critics are saying

  • RDRE scaling fails due to combustion instability in 18-36 months.
  • FAA blocks Mach 9 certification lacking safety standards in 24-48 months.
  • Lockheed Martin acquires Venus, absorbing IP within 12-36 months.

What makes Venus Aerospace unique

  • Venus Aerospace pioneers flight-proven rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE).
  • VDR combines RDRE with ramjet for takeoff-to-hypersonic cruise.
  • Targets Mach 9 Stargazer for one-hour global passenger transport.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Unlimited Paid Time Off

Flexible Work Hours

401(k) Retirement Plan

Stock Options

Professional Development Budget

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

-3%

1 year growth

-2%

2 year growth

0%
ExecutiveBiz
Oct 23rd, 2025
Lockheed Martin Invests in Venus Aerospace to Advance Rocket Propulsion Technology

Lockheed Martin invests in Venus Aerospace to advance rocket propulsion technology. Lockheed Martin, through its venture arm Lockheed Martin Ventures, has made a strategic investment in Venus Aerospace, a Houston-based startup developing next-generation rocket propulsion systems. Why did Lockheed Martin Ventures invest in Venus Aerospace? Venus said Wednesday the funding, announced at the Axios Future of Defense Summit in Washington, D.C., will accelerate the development and production of Venus' flight-proven rotating detonation rocket engine, or RDRE, for defense, space and commercial aviation applications. Lockheed intends to integrate Venus' propulsion systems into future defense and space platforms. "With support from Lockheed Martin Ventures, we will advance our capabilities to deliver at scale and deploy the engine that will power the next 50 years of defense, space and commercial high-speed aviation," said Sassie Duggleby, co-founder and CEO of Venus Aerospace. The aerospace and defense propulsion market, valued at over $260 billion in 2022, is expected to expand significantly. Investment in dual-use propulsion technologies is projected to reach $1 trillion by 2040. Venus' RDRE is positioned to serve multiple sectors, including the hypersonics market, which is forecast to approach $12 billion by 2032. "Next-generation propulsion will define the future of the space and defense industries," said Chris Moran, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures.

Defense Daily
Oct 23rd, 2025
Lockheed Martin Ventures Invests In Rocket Engine Startup Venus Aerospace

Lockheed Martin ventures invests in rocket engine startup Venus Aerospace. Venus Aerospace on Wednesday said it has received a strategic investment from Lockheed Martin's [LMT] venture capital arm to help speed technology development. The value of the investment was not disclosed. Airbus Group's ventures arm previously invested in Venus (Defense Daily, June 14, 2023). Venus in May said it successfully completed the first flight test of its rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE), which the company is developing to enable hypersonic vehicles to take off from conventional runways (Defense Daily, May... Subscriber-only content. Please log in below. Not a subscriber or registered user yet? Please contact us at [email protected] or call us at 888-707-5814 (Monday - Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. and Friday 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET.), to start a free trial, get pricing information, order a reprint, or post an article link on your website.

Investors Hangout
Oct 22nd, 2025
Lockheed Martin Invests $106M in Venus Aerospace

Lockheed Martin Ventures has invested in Venus Aerospace, a startup specializing in next-gen rocket propulsion, particularly its rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE). This partnership aims to enhance Venus's capabilities and scale production for defense, space, and commercial aviation. Venus has raised over $106 million to date. The collaboration highlights the growing importance of innovative propulsion technologies in the aerospace sector.

Space.com
Sep 16th, 2025
'A game changer': Space shuttle astronaut Pam Melroy joins Venus Aerospace after revolutionary rocket engine breakthrough

Melroy, NASA's former Deputy Administrator, has joined the Board of Directors for Houston-based startup Venus Aerospace just months after the company became first in the U.S. to launch a rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE).

TechAcute
Apr 24th, 2025
Hypersonic Possibilities Unfold With Venus Aerospace's Stargazer Project

Venus Aerospace recently secured a $3.9 million grant from the Texas Space Commission.