Propulsion Test Infrastructure Engineer

Build the Hot-Fire Test Labs That Will Power the Next Generation of Spaceflight

Alameda, CA | On-Site | ITAR (US Person Required)

This Is Not a Lab You Maintain. This Is a Lab You Create.

If you're the kind of engineer who wants full ownership, thrives in high-energy, high-risk environments, and believes the best test systems are built by the people who operate them, you'll feel at home here.

This role exists to design, build, and operate next-generation propulsion test infrastructure supporting rocket engine and spacecraft propulsion programs. You will architect and commission 10+ new hot-fire test stands, define the instrumentation and controls standards used across all future testing, and personally bring systems from blank page to first ignition.

You will not inherit a finished facility.

You will design it, wire it, plumb it, commission it, and fire it.

What You'll Own:

• Design, build, and commission hot-fire propulsion test stands from scratch
• Architect and implement LabVIEW, PLC, and SCADA control systems
• Specify, integrate, and maintain DAQ hardware and instrumentation
• Develop P&IDs, valve sequencing logic, and safety interlock systems
• Operate high-pressure and cryogenic propulsion systems
• Write and execute test procedures, readiness reviews, and conduct live tests
• Lead hazard analyses, HAZOPs, and Test Readiness Reviews (TRRs)
• Troubleshoot live test anomalies, failures, and instrumentation issues
• Scale and standardize test infrastructure across multiple sites
• Establish the technical standards that future propulsion testing will follow

This Role Is For You If You:

• Want end-to-end ownership of real hardware, not a narrow subsystem
• Prefer hands-on building over managing contractors or reviewing slides
• Are comfortable working around hazardous, high-energy propulsion systems
• Enjoy solving problems under pressure
• Want your work to directly enable flight-critical propulsion systems

Required Qualifications:

• US Person (ITAR compliance)
• Able to work on-site in Alameda, CA
• Proven ownership of LabVIEW and/or PLC control systems
• Experience designing DAQ and instrumentation systems
• Background with high-pressure gas and cryogenic fluid systems
• Strong P&ID development and interlock logic experience
• Hands-on ability with wiring, plumbing, integration, and troubleshooting
• Comfort working in hazardous propulsion test environments

Preferred (But Not Required):

• Built and commissioned hot-fire propulsion test stands from scratch
• End-to-end ownership of LabVIEW / PLC / SCADA architectures
• Cryogenic testing with LOX, LN₂, or LCH₄
• Former test conductor or propulsion operator
• Led HAZOPs and hazard reviews
• Experience with MATLAB or Python
• SolidWorks or CAD-based system
  layout experience

Why Engineers Choose This Work:

• Real ownership: You design it, you build it, you run it
• Zero legacy baggage: Greenfield test infrastructure
• Direct impact on flight propulsion programs
• A culture that values builders, operators, and problem-solvers
• Work that happens in test cells—not conference rooms

If you're motivated by ignition events, not org charts—and want to build the systems that make rocket engines roar—we want to talk to you.

Apply now and help define the future of propulsion testing.