- Robot type
- Drone · Defense
- Location
- Costa MesaCaliforniaUSA
- Job type
- Hardware
- Posted
- Aug 25, 2026
- Salary
- $253,000–$336,000 a year
Full-time
Principal Propulsion Engineer, Air Vehicles (Solid Rocket Motor Integration)
Job description
The Air Dominance & Strike Propulsion Integration team is responsible for designing and integrating advanced hardware for Group 5 air vehicles and across missile platforms . Air Dominance & Strike Propulsion Engineers own the full development lifecycle, from concept generation, to integration and flight test, ensuring high-performance, resilient, and scalable mechanical systems that meet the demands of complex, contested environments.
Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology.
Job responsibilities
- Serve as a lead or key contributor in the selection, architecting, and integration of Solid Rocket Motors (SRMs), ignition systems, Thrust Vector Control (TVC) systems, and associated ordnance on missile platforms and…
- Design, fabricate, and test prototype components, structural interfaces, and thrust vectoring or ignition control systems.
- Plan, instrument, and execute ground static fire, environmental, and integration tests of solid rocket propulsion systems.
- Coordinate with SRM vendors, develop strategic partnerships, and manage development projects.
- Lead or support critical hardware demonstrations with customers as needed.
- Critical member of team supporting CAD design for structural integration, motor cases, nozzles, blast tubes, and aerodynamic / structural interfaces.
- Travel to vendor sites, test sites and test ranges as needed.
Job requirements
- Bachelor's degree or higher in Mechanical, Aerospace, or Electrical Engineering.
- 15+ years of propulsion engineering experience on tactical missiles, launch vehicles, or air vehicles.
- Professional experience with Solid Rocket Motors (SRMs) for defense or aerospace applications.
- Mastery of rocket internal ballistics, performance modeling, and grain design; ability to influence SRM OEM design decisions to match vehicle requirements.
- Served as the Chief Engineer or ultimate technical authority on a major solid rocket propulsion program, defining technology roadmaps and architectural baselines.
- Experience identifying and selecting strategic SRM suppliers, managing critical OEM relationships, and establishing qualified supply chains.
- Experience defining comprehensive propulsion test programs (including static fire testing, environmental qualification, hazards classification, acceptance, flight-test readiness) and troubleshooting system-level…
- Experience advising executive leadership on technical risks, representing the company to key customers / government agencies, and mentoring mid-to-senior level engineers.