Full-Time

Vehicle Design Engineer 2

Specter Aerospace

Specter Aerospace

51-200 employees

Develops plasma-assisted propulsion for aerospace defense

No salary listed

No H1B Sponsorship

Boston, MA, USA

In Person

Up to 10% travel is required for test activities.

US Citizenship, US Top Secret Clearance Required

Bachelor's

Category
Aerospace Engineering (1)
Required Skills
SolidWorks
FEM/FEA

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Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering, or a related field.
  • At least 3 years of prior professional work experience.
  • Proficiency using computer-aided design software with a product lifecycle management platform; SolidWorks is preferred.
  • Comfort with project autonomy and fast-paced work environments.
  • Strong collaborative skills and a drive to produce quality work.
  • A fundamental understanding of mechanical engineering principles, including statics, dynamics, materials, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics.
  • Availability for up to 10% travel for test activities.
  • Ability to obtain a Department of Defense security clearance; U.S. citizenship is required.
Responsibilities
  • Design systems and parts for hypersonic flight vehicles.
  • Serve as the Responsible Engineer for a complete hypersonic vehicle and/or major systems on a vehicle.
  • Perform preliminary analysis at the component and system levels.
  • Perform architecture and concept trade studies for vehicle and mechanical systems.
  • Create drawings for manufacturing release.
  • Own vehicle systems.
  • Analyze components within a flight vehicle.
  • Work across disciplines to efficiently design and optimize novel flight systems to meet internal and customer performance requirements.
  • Integrate subsystems into larger systems, ensuring fit and functionality.
Desired Qualifications
  • Previous hands-on experience in a technical shop, laboratory, or student organization.
  • Familiarity with geometric dimensioning and tolerancing.
  • Prior aerospace experience.
  • Prior finite element analysis or computational fluid dynamics experience.
  • Familiarity with design for manufacturing and design for additive manufacturing.

Specter Aerospace develops propulsion technologies for aerospace and defense, focusing on plasma-assisted combustion and hypersonic propulsion. The company designs advanced propulsion systems to improve jet engine efficiency and performance for high-speed flight. Its approach uses plasma to assist combustion, enabling more stable and efficient engine operation at high speeds, which is especially valuable for hypersonic vehicles. Unlike many competitors, Specter Aerospace emphasizes partnerships and contracting with government agencies (notably the DoD) and collaborates with other aerospace players, supported by both government funding and venture capital. The company aims to advance practical, propulsion-powered capabilities for defense and aerospace needs, driving more efficient engines and enabling reliable hypersonic performance.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Early VC

Total Funding

$14.4M

Headquarters

Cleveland, Ohio

Founded

2013

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Specter plans a plasma-assisted supersonic missile test in 2026.
  • Management is hiring principal GNC talent and co-ops across 2026 programs.
  • Updated August 2026 site activity signals active development, not dormant IP licensing.

What critics are saying

  • Flight-test failure in 2026 would cripple customer confidence and future DoD awards.
  • Specter depends on scarce government funding; budget shifts freeze contracts within months.
  • Clearance-gated hiring slows execution; competitor primes can poach engineers and absorb programs.

What makes Specter Aerospace unique

  • Plasma-assisted combustion technology targets unstable high-speed combustion problems directly.
  • Specter Aerospace combines hypersonic propulsion R&D with Pentagon-backed programs.
  • Its Boston engineering base and clearance-ready hiring attract scarce defense talent.

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Benefits

Hybrid Work Options

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

1%

2 year growth

-5%
PR Newswire
Jun 13th, 2023
Specter Aerospace Receives $9.5 Million in Funding from the Department of Defense (DoD) and Investment Firms, CS Ventures and Mandala Ventures

/PRNewswire/ -- Specter Aerospace, a Boston area defense contractor, specializing in the field of plasma-assisted combustion and hypersonic propulsion,...