Full-Time

Linux Systems 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
Software Engineering
Required Skills
TCP/IP
Kubernetes
LDAP
Computer Networking
Docker
Terraform
VMWare
Ansible
Linux/Unix

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Requirements
  • 3–5+ years of experience in Linux systems administration (RHEL, Ubuntu, or similar)
  • Experience integrating Linux systems into Windows environments (Active Directory, LDAP, SSO)
  • Strong hands-on experience with Ansible for automation and configuration management
  • Experience with Linux provisioning and deployment tools (Kickstart, cloud-init, Terraform, or similar)
  • Working knowledge of container technologies (Docker, Podman) and orchestration platforms (Kubernetes)
  • Experience with VMware or similar virtualization platforms
  • Solid understanding of networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, routing, firewalls)
  • Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills
  • ITAR Requirements: You must be able to meet ITAR requirements (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States, protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State)

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 B

Total Funding

$114M

Headquarters

Houston, Texas

Founded

2020

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Venus secured $91 million Series B funding in July 2026 to scale RDRE production for defense and space.
  • Lockheed Martin Ventures' investment enables integration of Venus propulsion into future hypersonic missile platforms.
  • Former NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy joined the board, boosting credibility for classified defense programs.

What critics are saying

  • Venus fails to extend engine burn time from 32 seconds to 6–15 minutes by 2027, triggering DoD procurement cutoff.
  • Lockheed Martin integrates RDRE into its own missile systems by 2028, eliminating Venus as a commercial partner.
  • Additive manufacturing supply chain bottlenecks for GRCop-42 alloys delay production by 12 months, raising unit costs above $5 million.

What makes Venus Aerospace unique

  • Venus achieved the first U.S. flight of a high-thrust rotating detonation rocket engine in May 2025.
  • Its RDRE delivers 15% higher efficiency than conventional rocket engines through supersonic detonation waves.
  • The engine uses 3D-printed components for domestic mass production, avoiding foreign supply chain dependencies.

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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

0%

1 year growth

0%

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.