Approach Venture · 5 hours ago
Senior Electric Propulsion Engineer
El Segundo, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
$120K/yr - $190K/yr
3+ years expApproach Venture is a fast-growing space technology company developing next-generation spacecraft designed for high-energy orbital missions. They are seeking a Senior Electric Propulsion Engineer to lead the development and integration of electric thruster hardware for flight vehicles, influencing propulsion architecture and driving test campaigns.
Management Consulting
Hiring Manager
Torey Bell
Responsibilities
Architect, design, and refine electric propulsion systems for flight spacecraft
Develop and operate propulsion test infrastructure including vacuum chambers, cryogenic pumping systems, plasma diagnostics, magnetic field measurement setups, and high-voltage data acquisition and control systems
Plan and execute qualification programs including vibration, shock, thermal cycling, and lifetime testing to validate readiness for spaceflight
Lead root cause investigations following anomalies and implement corrective design improvements to enhance reliability and manufacturability
Perform system-level trades evaluating mass, efficiency, cost, schedule, and reliability
Analyze propulsion performance data using numerical tools and modeling methods to validate predictions and characterize hardware behavior
Collaborate with manufacturing to transition designs into scalable, high-rate production
Support spacecraft-level integration including power interfaces, avionics connectivity, harnessing, and controls
Participate in integrated propulsion testing and hardware-in-the-loop validation efforts
Ensure compliance with applicable government and safety standards
Maintain full lifecycle ownership of assigned hardware from early design through flight qualification and post-test analysis
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field
3+ years of experience in electric propulsion research or professional development of electric propulsion systems
Hands-on experience working with vacuum systems, plasma devices, or high-voltage hardware
Experience designing and executing propulsion test campaigns
Strong foundation in electromagnetism, plasma physics, thermodynamics, or related engineering disciplines
Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot hardware at both component and system levels
Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, collaborative engineering environment
Preferred
Deep familiarity with propulsion test facilities and vacuum chamber operations
Experience modeling thruster performance and performing structured data reduction
Proficiency in Python, MATLAB, C, or C++ for analysis and control applications
Experience supporting flight qualification or high-reliability aerospace hardware programs
Comfort operating in a startup environment with evolving requirements
Benefits
Direct ownership of flight-critical propulsion hardware
Opportunity to influence vehicle architecture and mission capability
Fast-moving, engineering-driven culture with strong technical depth
Room for professional growth as programs scale
Collaborative environment working alongside experienced propulsion and spacecraft engineers
Equity participation opportunity
Company
Approach Venture
Enabling founding teams building the future of frontier technology to achieve their full potential.
2-10 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageLeadership Team
Bryce Dabbs
Founder & CEO
Tristan Cembrinski
Partner
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