Senior Staff Propulsion Engineer (TVC) (X-BAT) (R4160)

What you'll do:

• Act as the single-threaded owner for the TVC system, accountable for all technical decisions from concept to flight.
• Define and manage system requirements, performance goals, and mechanical/electrical interfaces.
• Design and integrate vectoring mechanisms with the engine and surrounding structure.
• Lead ground and flight testing of the TVC system, including instrumentation planning, data collection, and performance evaluation.
• Analyze control authority, vectoring bandwidth, and dynamic response across the flight envelope.
• Collaborate with the controls team to shape vectoring logic and ensure closed-loop system performance meets CONOPS requirements.
• Own fault management, failure investigations, and system reliability strategies.
• Represent the TVC system in design reviews, technical checkpoints, customer briefings, and leadership updates.

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 7+ years of experience in aerospace propulsion or flight control systems, with relevant experience owning subsystem development.
• Deep understanding of nozzle dynamics, actuation systems, mechanical integration, and structural/thermal constraints.
• Demonstrated experience in hardware development, test planning, and flight test support.
• Strong proficiency in Python for performance analysis, data processing, and model correlation.
• Familiarity with tools such as ANSYS, FEA, or thermal/fluid modeling for mechanism and system validation.
• U.S. Citizenship or ability to comply with ITAR requirements.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience with TVC or control effector systems on UAVs, tactical aircraft, or rocket platforms.
• Familiarity with low-bypass turbofan engines and integration constraints near hot-end propulsion hardware.
• Experience collaborating on control logic development, transient response shaping, and actuator tuning.
• Proficiency with Siemens NX and Teamcenter for CAD and configuration control.
• Background in failure modes analysis, margin modeling, and system validation strategies.
• M.S. or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering or a related discipline.