Staff Manufacturing Engineer, Propulsion

Job description

Job responsibilities

• Serve as a propulsion manufacturing engineering subject matter expert across AD&S programs, covering air-breathing turbines, ramjets, and solid rocket motors.
• Evaluate propulsion system designs for manufacturability, assembly, and cost — leading or supporting DFM/DFA reviews and driving design changes that improve producibility without compromising performance.
• Work directly with design engineers and program manufacturing engineers to translate propulsion manufacturing constraints into actionable design feedback.
• Assist in the selection and qualification of propulsion suppliers and contract manufacturers — assessing manufacturing capability, process maturity, quality systems, and cost competitiveness for propulsion-specific…
• Conduct or participate in supplier manufacturing assessments for propulsion hardware, including facility reviews, process audits, special process qualification (casting, brazing, propellant processing, thermal spray),…
• Develop and maintain manufacturing process requirements and standards for propulsion-specific processes including turbine component manufacturing, combustor and hot section fabrication, solid propellant mixing and…
• Support propulsion system test campaigns from a manufacturing engineering perspective — including hardware preparation, instrumentation integration, acceptance test criteria, and post-test hardware disposition and…
• Develop or contribute to should-cost models and cost-driver analyses for propulsion assemblies and components, identifying design and process changes that reduce unit cost at rate production.

Job requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field.
• 12+ years of experience in propulsion manufacturing, propulsion engineering, or a closely related manufacturing discipline — with expertise in at least one propulsion type: air-breathing turbines, ramjets, or solid…
• Strong technical knowledge of propulsion-specific manufacturing processes relevant to your area of expertise. Depending on specialty, this may include: investment casting and single-crystal blade production, combustor…
• Experience evaluating propulsion designs for manufacturability and translating findings into measurable improvements.
• Experience evaluating or qualifying propulsion suppliers — including special process qualification and production readiness assessments.
• Understanding of cost drivers in propulsion production, with experience building or contributing to should-cost models.
• Ability to read and critically evaluate propulsion system drawings, specifications, and test requirements for manufacturing implications.
• Working knowledge of relevant propulsion standards and specifications (MIL-STD, SAE AMS, JANNAF, AIAA standards as applicable).