Propulsion Design Engineer (Raptor Engine Systems)
Hawthorne · 2+ years experience · Posted Sep 23, 2026
At a glance
- Experience
- 2+ years experience
- Location
- Hawthorne
About the role
- The Engine Systems Design team is responsible for the top-level design definition of Raptor and the mechanical and fluid interfaces connecting the engine to Starship.
- The role involves maintaining a coherent engine design definition as Raptor evolves through design changes, investigations, and increasing production rates.
Responsibilities
- Support management of the top-level Raptor engine assembly across CAD, drawings, bills of materials, and configuration, while helping ensure complete hardware is released on schedule
- Maintain the engine fluid schematic as an accurate representation of the latest released engine design
- Support and maintain Raptor-to-Starship interfaces, including structural capability, seals, packaging, and dressout, shipping, and installation kits
- Maintain awareness of open engineering changes, investigations, and design work across the department that could affect the engine assembly
- Lead or support engineering change reviews and maintain current Bill of Design and design-review documentation, including DCR, PDR, and CDR
- Drive a high standard for engineering changes, design documentation, technical quality, and schedule across contributing engineering teams
- Develop automation for configuration management, change tracking, and design documentation where processes are still performed manually
- Develop interface, routing, packaging, and system-level layouts when engine and vehicle designs must change together
- Collaborate with manufacturing, test, analysis, and vehicle teams to resolve integration issues and move hardware from design through release and build
- Contribute to conceptual and system-level design work for future engine configurations and ongoing Raptor design changes as program needs require
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline
- 2+ years of professional experience in mechanical design, mechanical integration, or a closely related role, including regular use of 3D CAD
Preferred qualifications
- Experience managing or owning configuration of large mechanical assemblies
- Experience with Siemens NX and Teamcenter
- Experience with fluid systems, heat transfer, or structural design
- Experience with engineering change processes and design-review documentation
- Experience creating production drawings using GD&T
- Hands-on experience in a factory, machine shop, or test environment
- Professional experience with rocket propulsion, vehicle interfaces, or high-pressure fluid systems
- Working knowledge of Python, SQL, MATLAB, or FEA tools such as ANSYS
Benefits
- Company stock or long-term cash awards
- Discretionary bonuses
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan
- Medical, vision, and dental coverage
- 401(k) retirement plan
- Short and long-term disability insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid parental leave
- 3 weeks of paid vacation
- 10 or more paid holidays per year
Skills
- 3D CAD
- Siemens NX
- Teamcenter
- GD&T
- Python
- SQL
- MATLAB
- ANSYS
- FEA
