Full-Time

Senior Propulsion Engineer

Posted on 9/3/2025

Venus Aerospace

Venus Aerospace

51-200 employees

Develops hypersonic propulsion for terrestrial transport

No salary listed

Houston, TX, USA

Hybrid

Remote candidates must be available to travel to and from Houston, TX on a regular basis.

US Citizenship Required

Category
Aerospace Engineering (1)
Required Skills
CAD
Python
MATLAB
SolidWorks
Requirements
  • 5+ years of aerospace vehicle and engine systems engineering/design experience
  • Bachelor’s degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering
  • 3+ years of CAD experience, particularly working with large assemblies
  • Systems engineering and operational experience
  • Experience working on multidisciplinary project teams
  • Knowledge of standard aerospace materials used in designs of propulsion systems for high mechanical and thermal loads
  • Knowledge of aerospace fluid systems component and fluid connections specifications
  • Experience in some of the design & analysis tools such as NX / SolidWorks, ANSYS mechanical, CFX / StarCCM+, Matlab / Python, GFSSP, Microsoft Visio
  • Strong communication skills to effectively work in a hybrid in-person/remote work environment
Responsibilities
  • Support design, analysis, manufacturing, and testing of propulsion piece parts and assemblies
  • Generate CAD models of components and engine systems
  • Fluid network modeling, analysis & design: design and analysis engine fluid systems, identify COTS components for fluid systems, work with suppliers to source components
  • Generate P&ID’s of engine systems
  • Develop and execute test plans, analyze test results
  • Systems engineering experience focusing on generating engine balances, engine sizing and requirements, technical understanding of various engine cycles, and trading cycle efficiencies of various engine cycles
  • Use engine P&IDs to generate fully detailed CAD models of engine assemblies
  • Use agile methodology to break down complex projects into daily and weekly actionable tasks
  • Design and analyze tanks and supporting tank structures and PPMS
  • Work with vehicle engineering and test teams to satisfy engine systems design requirements and communicate engine systems test requirements
  • Work with outside vendors and in-house procurement team to select and source components for engine and PPMS systems
Desired Qualifications
  • Master’s degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering
  • Experience with RDREs or RDEs
  • Project management/leadership
  • Familiarity with Agile methods
  • Strong background in systems engineering for engine or PPMS systems
  • Engine and/or engine component testing
  • Familiarity with standards such as SMC-S-016, NASA STD-5012, AIAA S-080A-2018
  • Experience developing and standardizing processes for design, analysis, and testing

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.

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