Head of Engineering - Flight Hardware & Propulsion Systems

Head Of Engineering - Flight Hardware And Propulsion Systems

Long Beach, California | On-site

A venture-backed advanced manufacturing company is developing next-generation production technologies for aerospace, defense, and energy applications. The team is focused on building and delivering high-performance hardware with significantly reduced lead times, starting with large structural and propulsion-related systems for demanding environments. This role will lead engineering execution across flight hardware development, mechanical system design, qualification, and multidisciplinary product development efforts. The Head of Engineering will work closely with company leadership to drive technical direction, support customer hardware programs, and help scale engineering capabilities as the company grows. The position is highly hands-on and best suited for someone who has personally designed, analyzed, tested, and delivered complex aerospace hardware systems in fast-paced technical environments.

Job Duties

• Lead engineering development efforts across flight-critical and safety-critical aerospace hardware systems
• Own system-level engineering execution from concept development through testing, qualification, and production release
• Drive mechanical design activities involving structures, fluids, thermal systems, pressure-containing hardware, and integrated mechanical assemblies
• Support development of propulsion-adjacent systems including tanks, fluid hardware, structural assemblies, and aerospace subsystems
• Oversee structural, thermal, and mechanical analysis activities to support hardware reliability and performance
• Translate customer and product requirements into manufacturable, testable, and certifiable engineering solutions
• Partner closely with manufacturing, test, controls, materials, and operations teams throughout hardware development cycles
• Lead qualification and validation efforts including pressure testing, vibration testing, environmental testing, and root cause investigations
• Drive rapid prototyping, hardware iteration, design refinement, and engineering problem-solving activities
• Establish engineering standards, technical review processes, documentation practices, and execution workflows
• Mentor and lead engineers across multidisciplinary development programs while remaining directly involved in technical execution
• Help scale the engineering organization and support long-term product and technology development efforts

Qualifications

• 8+ years of engineering experience within aerospace, propulsion, advanced hardware, or high-performance engineering environments
• Demonstrated ownership of flight-critical or safety-critical systems from design through qualification and delivery
• Strong background in mechanical system design involving structures, fluids, thermal systems, propulsion hardware, or integrated aerospace systems
• Experience serving as a responsible engineer or technical owner for complex hardware systems or subsystems
• Hands-on experience with hardware development, integration, testing, and troubleshooting
• Strong understanding of engineering fundamentals including stress analysis, materials, thermodynamics, and system integration
• Experience leading engineering programs or technical teams in fast-paced startup or R&D-focused environments
• Ability to manage multiple technical efforts while balancing execution speed with engineering rigor
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills
• U.S. Person status required due to the nature of the work and customer base

Preferred Experience

• Experience with propulsion systems, pressure vessels, propellant tanks, or fluid system hardware
• Background developing launch vehicle, spacecraft, aviation, or other aerospace structural systems
• Familiarity with qualification standards and aerospace testing environments
• Experience solving multidisciplinary engineering challenges involving structures, thermal systems, fluids, and materials
• Exposure to advanced manufacturing or vertically integrated aerospace hardware environments
• Experience mentoring engineers and building high-performing technical teams
• Familiarity with production-oriented hardware development and qualification workflows

Why Join Us

• Opportunity to lead development of highly complex aerospace hardware systems from concept through delivery
• High-impact role with significant ownership across engineering execution, product development, and technical strategy
• Work alongside an experienced engineering team with backgrounds spanning aerospace, propulsion, manufacturing, and advanced technology development
• Exposure to cutting-edge aerospace, defense, and energy applications
• Early-stage environment with meaningful technical influence, leadership growth, and equity upside
• Fast-moving development environment focused on building and delivering real hardware

$170,000 - $220,000