Senior Design Engineer, Solid Rocket Motor Nozzles

Employer description

The future of aerospace and defense starts here. 

Ursa Major was founded to revolutionize how America and its allies access and apply high-performance propulsion, from hypersonics to solid rocket motors, satellite maneuvering and launch. We design and deliver propulsion and defense systems that solve the most urgent and critical national security demands. 

Ursa Major’s solid rocket motor (SRM) team is hiring multiple Senior Design Engineers to support the design, development, and qualification of solid rocket motor nozzles and associated insulation systems. This role has substantial technical responsibility and autonomy, with support from subject matter experts where needed. 

You will be a key contributor for SRM nozzle design at Ursa Major, defining nozzle architectures and interfaces, leading shell and insulator design, and driving test campaigns. You’ll help refine the design methods, standards, and processes that enable scalable, high-rate production of solid rocket motors. 

 
This isn't purely a desk job. You’ll be expected to be on the build floor working with technicians, integrating hardware, and resolving build issues in real time. Our engineers work across a variety of programs and roles, so you’ll have the opportunity to contribute beyond your title and take on new challenges as they arise. 

What You’ll Do 

• Lead the design of solid rocket motor nozzles, including shells, insulators, and interfaces with minimal guidance from subject matter experts.  

• Translate customer requirements and mission needs into robust, manufacturable nozzle designs that meet performance, reliability, cost, and schedule targets.  

• Lead design trades across materials, manufacturing processes, and nozzle architectures.  

• Plan and support development test campaigns to derisk new concepts and mature them into qualified products.  

• Review test data and post-test hardware to verify performance against predictions, identify anomalies, and drive design or process changes when needed.  

• Provide hands-on support during builds and tests by integrating hardware, resolving build issues in real time, and closing the loop between design and manufacturing.   

• Drive cross-functional collaboration with analysis, manufacturing, test, systems, and supply chain teams to ensure nozzle designs meet all stakeholder needs.  

• Maintain aggressive but realistic project schedules, identifying key risks early and working with technical leads to implement mitigation plans.   

• Generate and review CAD models and engineering drawings in accordance with internal standards and ASME Y14.5‑2009/2018.  

• Maintain clear, organized technical documentation, including requirements, design reviews, test plans and reports, and verification/validation evidence.  

• Provide day‑to‑day technical guidance to junior engineers, contributing to the team’s growth in nozzle design, materials, and manufacturing. 

Required Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related field.  

• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in rocket propulsion, high temperature structures, or closely related hardware.  

• Demonstrated experience with erosive and nonerosive nozzle designs and associated manufacturing practices.  

• Ability to execute clean-sheet nozzle designs, including first‑order fluids and thermal analyses to inform geometry, materials, and insulation strategies.  

• Proficiency with CAD and engineering analysis tools (e.g., structural, thermal, and fluid/CFD analysis).  

• Strong engineering fundamentals, including in-depth knowledge of thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and structural mechanics.  

• Ability to work autonomously within a defined scope, while knowing when to pull in subject matter experts or technical leads.  

• Clear, effective written and verbal communication skills for cross-functional collaboration, design reviews, customer discussions, and documentation.  

• Eligibility for a U.S. DoD Secret Clearance is required and maintaining that eligibility is a condition of employment.  

Desired Experience 

• Master’s degree or PhD in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related technical discipline.  

• Experience architecting and designing electromechanical systems (e.g., actuators, gimbal mechanisms) for nozzle vectoring.  

• Direct experience with vectorable nozzle technologies (e.g., splitline designs, jet tabs, flexseals).  

• Hands-on involvement in rapid product development environments (prototype‑heavy, fast‑iteration programs).  

• Experience designing hardware for high-rate, automated production, including design for manufacturing/assembly and process automation.  

• Proficiency with Siemens NX (CAD) and Ansys (FEA/CFD) tools.  

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