Vast
Propulsion Test Engineer
$86K–$195K
Mojave, California, United States · Full-time · Posted Jul 15, 2026
- Experience
- 2+ years; experience in chemical propulsion and/or fluid systems operation, design, and development, or hardware testing.
- Education
- Bachelor’s degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering or related field.
About the job
Develops and tests propulsion systems for human-rated space stations, including hot-fire testing and test-stand operations.
What you'll do
- Perform thruster development, acceptance, and qualification hot-fire tests; lead hazardous operations and write procedures.
- Prepare and lead Test Readiness Reviews and work with technicians on test-article installation and inspection.
- Design and maintain test-stand fluid and electrical systems, and collaborate with engineers to resolve test issues.
What they ask for
- Bachelor’s degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering or a related field.
- 2+ years of experience in chemical propulsion and/or fluid systems operation, design, and development, or hardware testing.
- Willingness to work overtime or weekends for critical mission milestones.
- Ability to lift up to 50 lbs unassisted and work outdoors in physically demanding extreme weather conditions.
Nice to have
- Experience with NX and Teamcenter, Epsilon3, JIRA / Confluence, or controls and data acquisition systems such as Beckhoff/TwinCAT or National Instruments/LabVIEW.
- Experience building and testing high-pressure fluid systems; tube fitting and bending; or reading and interpreting P&IDs.
Pay
$86,000 - $122,000 USD (base salary); $112,000 - $155,000 USD (base salary); $135,000 - $195,000 USD (base salary); $86,000 — $195,000 USD (base salary)
Tools
NX, Teamcenter, Epsilon3, JIRA, Confluence, Beckhoff/TwinCAT, National Instruments/LabVIEW, P&IDs
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative