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Lead Propulsion Engineer

Dark
locationÎle-de-France, France
PublishedPublished: Published 1 month ago
Propulsion
Full time
At Dark, we passionately believe that space represents not only a cornerstone of the modern world but also a catalyst for shaping our future. Our mission is clear: pioneering spacecraft and mission designs for the protection of vital orbits and assets.

That is why we are gathering a team of bright minds to tackle crucial challenges through advanced engineering. Our focus? Velocity. We are kicking in technologies that will enable faster-than-ever orbital missions, ushering in a new era defined by unprecedented agility and boundless opportunity.

Joining the propulsion team, your mission will be to ensure the coherence of Dark's analyses and developments in the fields of combustion, fluidics, and chemical engine design. Capitalizing on your expertise in propulsion systems, you will be responsible for selecting the appropriate strategy to fit the spacecraft development roadmap set by the design team leader.

First Missions
  • Getting up to speed with the current propulsion architecture and the past activities
  • Taking ownership of the propulsion team
  • Articulating the propulsion team's activities and test milestones to achieve ground hot-fire testing of our chemical propulsion system
Responsibilities
  • Specifying the propulsion system and subsystems according to overarching requirements.
  • Organizing and supervising the propulsion team's activities.
  • Guaranteeing the performance and reliability of the systems being developed.
  • Interfacing with and supporting other teams (mechanical, GNC, testing, etc.)
  • Exchanging with subcontractors and building partnerships.
  • Driving design studies, validations and tests from blank page to hardware.
  • Conducting design reviews and writing technical documentation.
  • Contributing to the definition of internal engineering standards, processes and tools.
  • Mentoring and training other team members.
Requirements
  • 10+ years of experience in a similar position.
  • Ideal background from the Defense / Aerospace industry (e.g. MBDA, Thales, Dassault, Safran, etc.).
  • Expertise in space propulsion or aerospace systems.
  • Knowledge of the different phases of an industrial project (development through qualification).
  • Knowledge of combustion processes.
  • Knowledge in design/numerical modelling/testing correlations.
  • Being able to work in a highly iterative environment during early design phases.
  • Hands-on experience with rocket engines and/or space propulsion is a plus.
  • As we have an international team, knowledge of technical English is required. Fluency in French is a plus.
Culture

We recognise that extraordinary work ethics turn mere achievements into triumphs. Hence, we hold each team member accountable for enhancing collaborative performance within Dark by embodying the following skill set:
  • Methodology - Your ability to clearly define and articulate the steps required to achieve a desired outcome
  • Relevancy - Your capacity to discern and select the most appropriate course of action based on the prevailing context and circumstances
  • Results - Consistently obtaining and updating the necessary resources and information to drive towards the intended outcome effectively
Furthermore, your leadership capabilities will be assessed against the following criteria, mirroring the expectations of your peers:
  • Timing - Your adeptness in structuring workflows to meet deadlines
  • Judgement - Your capacity to make sound decisions, especially in ambiguous or uncertain situations, showcasing strategic thinking and discernment
  • Decisions - Utilizing the aforementioned criteria to manage the workload effectively
Benefits
  • Join - our core team, poised to expand into a company with hundreds.
  • Engage - in a deeply technical project with high level systems trade-off and long term industrial vision.
  • Learn - every day in an environment driven by continuous improvement.
  • Enjoy - a team rewarding autonomy and uphold high standard at work.
Total salary package begins at €65,000, along with additional performance-based and project-related bonuses.