SRM - Solid Rocket Motor Engineer – Onsite Arlington, VA

Fulltime position –Paid vacation + Paid holidays + Company Benefits Program - Must work onsite in Arlington, VA

An international Aerospace company with locations in 4 countries is opening up a new office in Arlington, VA (Washington, DC).

The company manufactures dual-thrust SRMs - Solid Rocket Motors that are used in the Mk 104 Program.

A brand-new aerospace subsidiary needs to hire 5 Solid Rocket Motor Engineers (SRM). These can be at the Junior, Mid, or Senior level Energetics, Propulsion, Thermal, and/or Aerospace Mechanical Engineers whose core focus will be on the design, development, and/or subcontractor management of SRMs. They are seeking engineers that will be excited about being "very hands-on" and bring a "roll up your sleeves and figure it out" mindset to help build a new SRM manufacturing facility from scratch. Must be comfortable dealing with a lot of ambiguity.

The Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) Engineer will be responsible for the end-to-end design, analysis, and qualification of solid propulsion systems. This role blends mechanical design, materials science, and internal ballistics to create reliable motors for defense and space applications.

This SRM Engineer will lead the development of SRM components — including cases, nozzles, and propellant grains —ensuring they meet strict performance and safety standards. You will work within a multidisciplinary team to optimize thrust profiles and manage the transition from conceptual design to full-scale manufacturing.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Design & Analysis: Create and refine CAD models for motor components like nozzles, throats, and insulators using tools such as SolidWorks or Siemens NX. Perform 2D and 3D structural analysis (FEA) to ensure integrity under extreme pressures and temperatures.
• Ballistics Optimization: Collaborate with analysts to define propellant grain geometries and optimize burn rates, thrust curves, and pressure profiles.
• Testing & Qualification: Lead static fire test campaigns and ground-based prototyping. Analyze test data to validate performance and investigate any anomalies.
• Manufacturing Oversight: Oversee propellant casting, curing cycles, and the implementation of advanced manufacturing techniques like additive manufacturing or composite tape wrapping.
• Safety & Compliance: Ensure all designs and handling procedures adhere to energetic material safety standards and DOD/NASA regulations.

REQUIREMENTS

• Must have a Aerospace/Mechanical/Chemical Engineering (or similar) degree and 2 or more years of experience working on the design and manufacturing of SRMs (Solid Rocket Motors). These engineers must have experience in Propulsion, Thermal, Energetics, and/or Aerospace Mechanical Engineering whose core focus has been on the design, development, and/or subcontractor management of SRMs. They are seeking engineers that will be excited about being "very hands-on" and bring a "roll up your sleeves and figure it out" mindset to help build a new SRM manufacturing facility from scratch. Must be comfortable dealing with a lot of ambiguity.
• Must work onsite 5 days a week in Arlington, VA (Washington, DC) during the first 6 months, then one week a month afterward.
• We have 5 positions to fill and they can be at the Junior-level, Mid-level, or Senior-level, so years of experience will vary. Must have experience in ROCKET MOTOR design, building, and test environments. The positions will focus on design, analysis (FEA/thermal), and testing of propulsion hardware (nozzles, structures, propellant systems) and will require experience within a US Defense program.
• Must be US Citizen with ability to obtain a U.S. Secret Security Clearance for ITAR restrictions.
• Key Technical Skillsrequired include experience with Propulsion, ANSYS mechanical (or Abaqus) FEA - Nozzle / Propellant / Grain - Thermal / Heat / Pressure / SolidWorks or Siemens NX.
• Rocket Motor / propulsion work - Testing (static fire, ground test) - Structural or Thermal analysis - High pressure / High temp systems
• Should be strong in FEA/CFD simulation software ANSYS and understand thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, and have hands-on experience with propellant chemistry or energetic material handling.
• Must have knowledge of composite pressure vessel (COPV) design and filament winding and be familiar with insensitive munitions (IM) protocols.
• Should have some experience in several other domains, including Structural Components, SRM Performance, Structure Dynamics , Extreme Temperature Components, Materials and Process, Supply Chain / Procurement, and Quality Assurance.