About Careertakes

👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, a confidential client in the aerospace & defense industry.

Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.

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What You’ll Do

Confidential Client is hiring a Propulsion Engineer (Vehicle) to support propulsion system design, vehicle integration, and test for hypersonic and launch applications. You will own subsystem-level designs from early concept through flight demonstration and production transition, collaborate across engineering and manufacturing teams, and support hands-on prototype build and test activities.

• Clean-sheet design and analysis of fluid and mechanical vehicle components — tanks, feed systems, propellant management, and related fluid systems
• Use first-principles engineering to drive design and technical decisions
• Support rapid development cycles, hands-on hardware assembly, and test data analysis
• Modify prototypes and components to improve performance and manufacturability
• Plan and support ground and flight testing (test planning, instrumentation, execution, and data capture)
• Participate in failure investigations, nonconformance resolution, and continuous design improvement
• Collaborate with manufacturing, analysis, and test teams to reduce variation and increase producibility
• Interface with customers and external partners during design reviews, technical interchange meetings (TIMs), and integrated product team (IPT) meetings
• Apply design-for-manufacturing (DFM) principles to enable efficient production transition

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Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related field
• 1–3 years experience in propulsion systems engineering or propulsion-focused vehicle development (strong internship or academic project experience considered)
• Proficiency with computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting tools
• Knowledge of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (ASME Y14.5)
• Hands-on familiarity with fluid, mechanical, and electrical systems
• Strong problem solving, task management, and communication skills
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, hardware-centric environment and adapt to changing priorities
• Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen or permanent resident) and able to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance

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Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering or related field
• Experience with Siemens NX and Windchill PLM
• Design and analysis experience for tanks, structures, or fluid systems
• Experience with Ansys for fluids, structural, or thermal analysis
• Familiarity with manual and CNC machining (milling, turning)
• Experience in ISO 9001 or AS9100 environments
• Prior experience leading design reviews and documenting technical trades
• Liquid propellant rocket engine design, test, or analysis experience

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Compensation & Benefits

Colorado law requires disclosure of the base compensation range for positions posted in Colorado. The salary range for this role is:

• Base salary: $80,000 - $100,000 (determined by education, experience, skills, and other factors)
• Classification: Full-time, Exempt

Benefits (typical for this role; interns may be ineligible):

• Unlimited PTO (vacation, sick, personal, bereavement)
• Paid parental and adoptive leave
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• HSA/FSA tax-advantaged accounts
• Employer-paid short- and long-term disability, basic life, AD&D
• Voluntary benefits options (additional life, emergency transport)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with employer match

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Additional Details

• Location: Berthoud, CO (on-site or as required by program needs)
• Employment type: Full-time
• This role requires U.S. Person status and eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance — these are bona fide job requirements for work on certain national security contracts.
• Confidential Client is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce and encourages applicants from all backgrounds. Candidates who may not meet 100% of preferred qualifications but who demonstrate potential are encouraged to apply.

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Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency

Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.

If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.