CesiumAstro

Designs satellite communications hardware and software

Senior Valve Design Engineer 1

Design EngineeringConfirmed live in the last 24 hours

Full-timeEl Segundo, CA, USAIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

A bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field is required.
At least 4 years of industry experience in aerospace propulsion systems or related areas is required.
Hands-on proficiency with computer-aided design tools, including Siemens NX and SolidWorks, is required.
Strong expertise in Ansys CFX, Fluent, and Mechanical for simulation and analysis is required.
Demonstrated expertise in structural or mechanical design for flight hardware is required.
Experience in early-stage vehicle architecture and design trades is required.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and attention to detail are required.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills are required.

Responsibilities

Design and develop a variety of valves, including pneumoactuated, electropneumatic, and electrohydraulic check valves, throttles, and regulators.
Own requirements definition, architecture trades, and system-level integration for assigned subsystems.
Generate technical documentation, including reports and specifications, and contribute to preliminary and critical design reviews.
Perform computational fluid dynamics and finite element analysis to evaluate performance parameters such as pressure drops, hydraulic characteristics, and mechanical integrity under operating conditions.
Develop and execute test programs, analyze experimental data, and apply findings to optimize designs.
Collaborate across mechanical, aerospace, and controls engineering teams to deliver flight-ready hardware.
Drive design decisions, mentor engineers, and ensure vehicle systems meet performance, reliability, and safety standards.

Desired Qualifications

A master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field is preferred.
Prior experience designing cryogenic valves for liquid rocket engines or other rocket systems is preferred.
Practical experience in test bench setup and performance diagnostics is preferred.
Hands-on engineering experience across the full development process, from computer work through hands-on shop work, is preferred.
Experience with geometric dimensioning and tolerancing is preferred.
Familiarity with aerospace safety and reliability practices is preferred.
Experience in a start-up or rapid development environment is preferred.

Salary Range: 118000 to 142000 (Currency: USD) (Pay period: per-year-salary)

Please Note: To conform with the United States Government Space Technology Export Regulations, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., conditional resident, asylee or refugee (protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

At CesiumAstro, we are developers and pioneers of out-of-the-box communication systems for satellites, UAVs, launch vehicles, and other space and airborne platforms. We take pride in our dynamic and cross-functional work environment, which allows us to learn, develop, and engage across our organization. If you are looking for hands-on, interactive, and autonomous work, CesiumAstro is the place for you. We are actively seeking passionate, collaborative, energetic, and forward-thinking individuals to join our team.

We are looking to add a Senior Valve Design Engineer I to our team. If you enjoy working in a startup environment and have experience in the design of the valves for different pneumo-hydraulic systems, we would like to hear from you.

In this role, you will be responsible for driving design decisions, mentoring engineers, and ensuring our vehicle systems meet performance, reliability, and safety standards. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in CAD systems, CFD and FEA simulations, combined with hands-on experience in experimental development and testing of all types of valves (inc. cryogenic).

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Design and develop a variety of valves, including pneumoactuated, electropneumatic, electrohydraulic check valves, throttles, and regulators.

Own requirements definition, architecture trades, and system-level integration for assigned subsystems.

Generate technical documentation, including reports, specifications, and contributions to PDRs and CDRs.

Perform CFD and FEA analyses to evaluate performance parameters such as pressure drops, hydraulic characteristics and mechanical integrity under operating conditions.

Develop and execute test programs, analyze experimental data, and apply findings to optimize designs.

Collaborate across mechanical, aerospace, and controls engineering teams to deliver flight-ready hardware.

JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.

4+ years of industry experience in aerospace propulsion systems or related areas.

Hands-on proficiency in CAD tools (Siemens NX, SolidWorks)

Strong expertise in Ansys CFX, Fluent, and Mechanical for simulation and analysis.

Demonstrated expertise in structural or mechanical design for flight hardware.

Experience in early-stage vehicle architecture and design trades.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with high attention to detail.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.

Prior experience designing cryogenic valves for liquid rocket engines or other rocket systems.

Practical experience in test bench setup and performance diagnostics.

Hands-on engineering (Full-stack: computer to wrench to broom)

Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T)

Familiarity with aerospace safety and reliability practices.

Experience in a start-up or rapid development environment.

CesiumAstro considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills. Full-time employment offers include company stock options and a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life, disability and retirement plans.

CesiumAstro is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Please note: CesiumAstro does not accept unsolicited resumes from contract agencies or search firms. Any unsolicited resumes submitted to our website or to CesiumAstro team members will be considered property of CesiumAstro, and we will not be obligated to pay any referral fees.

About the Company

CesiumAstro

Designs satellite communications hardware and software

CesiumAstro builds end-to-end space and airborne communications systems, combining hardware and software to connect satellites, UAVs, and ground stations. Its products include active phased array antennas, software-defined radios, and complete RF payloads that enable electronically steered links for inter-satellite communication, high-rate downlinks, lunar communications, and 5G/NTN networks. The company ships plug-and-play, commercially manufactured, full-stack systems designed to be flexible and cost-efficient, rather than bespoke one-off solutions. Its goal is to make space-based connectivity more accessible and adaptable across space, air, and ground networks for both government and commercial customers.

Company size: 501-1,000
Company stage: Debt Financing
Total funding: $1.6B
Headquarters: Bee Cave, TX
Founded: 2017

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