Systems Engineer IV/V - Thruster Programs at AGILE Space Industries

Durango, Colorado, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

16 Sep, 26

Salary

194000.0

Posted On

18 Jun, 26

Experience

10 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Systems Engineering, Requirements Management, System Architecture, Verification And Validation, Trade Studies, Risk Management, Propulsion Systems, Fluid Systems, Hardware Development, Root Cause Analysis, Interface Control, Technical Leadership, JAMA, CONOPS, Product Lifecycle Management, Customer Relationship Management

Industry

Defense and Space Manufacturing

Description

Description Agile Space Industries is a rapidly growing supplier of propulsion hardware and engineering services for the space industry. Headquartered in Durango, Colorado, with expanding operations in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, Agile has achieved more than 40% year-over-year growth for the past three years, and our momentum continues to accelerate. At Agile, we design, build, and test in-space propulsion systems that give spacecraft the ability to maneuver with precision, reliability, and purpose. Our technologies play a critical role in missions that range from lunar landings and resource utilization to national defense, human exploration, and commercial space transport. This is an onsite role based in Durango, Colorado. Durango offers a rare combination of meaningful aerospace work and exceptional quality of life, with access to world-class skiing, mountain biking, hiking, fishing, rafting, and a vibrant mountain-town community. Relocation assistance is available for qualified candidates. Agile is seeking an experienced Systems Engineer to provide end-to-end systems engineering leadership across rocket engine and thruster development programs. This role is responsible for driving a clear, executable thread from customer mission and CONOPS through system requirements, architecture, design, verification, qualification, and delivery. The ideal candidate brings strong system-level thinking and deep technical experience in propulsion or related aerospace hardware. This role works directly with the customer and internal teams to define the mission, translate it into requirements, and ensure the system is designed, built, and tested to meet those objectives. This position is accountable for maintaining technical coherence across disciplines and driving system-level decisions throughout the program lifecycle. The role requires leadership in requirements definition and flowdown, architecture development, trade studies, risk management, and verification and validation planning and execution. The candidate is responsible for working with the customer to drive agreement on requirements. Agile operates in a fast-paced development environment. This role is expected to take ownership, drive decisions, and ensure alignment across teams, customers, and suppliers to deliver a working, testable system. This is an open position at multiple levels from Senior Engineer II to Staff Engineering level and will be assessed as part of the candidate review process. This role is onsite and the candidate must be willing to relocate to Durango, CO. Responsibilities Work directly with customers to define mission objectives, CONOPS, and system success criteria Translate mission needs into clear, testable system requirements and maintain end-to-end traceability through delivery Lead system architecture development and trade studies, including evaluation of performance, risk, cost, and schedule impacts Ensure consistency and integration across propulsion, structures, avionics, thermal, fluids, and manufacturing interfaces Lead the definition, planning, and execution of the verification and validation approach, including qualification plans and acceptance test procedures (ATP) Ensure verification is tied directly to requirements and planned early in the development lifecycle Lead and support gated product development reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, etc.) Identify, track, and drive closure of technical risks, interface issues, and system gaps Independently analyze system performance and recommend design or architecture changes as needed Facilitate communication between customers, internal teams, and suppliers, ensuring clear understanding of system intent, constraints, and decisions Support failure investigations, root cause analysis, and corrective actions Contribute to improving systems engineering processes, tools, and execution across programs Requirements Senior Engineer II B.S. in Engineering or related technical field (or equivalent experience) 8+ years of experience driving systems development in aerospace or related technical field Experience with liquid propellent rocket engine or thruster hardware development programs Strong understanding of propulsion systems, fluid systems, and system integration challenges Demonstrated experience in requirements definition, decomposition, and management Experience leading or supporting verification and validation planning and execution through hardware development lifecycles Experience supporting gated design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, MRR, and TRR)/product lifecycle Experience working with customers (government or commercial) Ability to drive system-level decision making and cross-functional alignment Experience with requirements management tools (e.g., JAMA or similar) Staff Engineer All qualifications listed above, plus: 10+ years of experience driving systems development in aerospace or related technical field Demonstrated experience leading advanced technical efforts across teams with a deep system-level understanding Demonstrated ability to define roadmaps and ability to simplify complexity for others while ensuring high-quality execution. Preferred Qualifications Experience developing space flight hardware with a comprehensive understanding of space design best practices. Experience with test plan development and hot fire testing of rocket engines Experienced in leading failure investigations and root cause analysis Familiarity with NASA or other relevant industry standards. Familiarity with Range Safety requirements, such as AFSPCMAN 91-710, and process of tailoring industry standard specification to a specific application Experience with leading teams and working with Government customers. Experience with Propulsion Systems Engineering is desired. Clear and concise presentation skills. Demonstrated experience with risk and opportunity management activities and strategies? Physical Requirements: Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer Employment Type: Exempt Salary: $120,000 - $162,000 Final compensation will be based on factors such as experience, skills, and internal equity, and is typically made within the midrange, rather than the upper end. Work Schedule: Full Time Travel Requirements: < 25% Relocation Assistance is available for qualified candidates. Location: Durango, CO #LI-Onsite Posting Timeline: This position will remain open for a minimum of five (5) days and will continue to accept applications until the role is filled. Early applications are encouraged, as reviews and interviews may begin during the posting period. What You'll Love About Us: Agile Space Industries offers exceptional benefits to support you and your family including generous health coverage, dental and vision plans, Flexible Time Off, parental leave, and a 401(k) with 100% company match up to 4%. We are committed to creating a diverse work environment and proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. Don’t meet every single requirement? At Agile, we are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. If you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t perfectly align with every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might be the perfect fit for this role or another opportunity with us. Reasonable Accommodation: At Agile, our goal is to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all candidates applying and interviewing at Agile Space Industries. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please submit a request to talent@agilespaceindustries.com. Recruitment Notice: Agile Space Industries is not partnering with external recruiters or agencies at this time. Please do not contact our staff directly regarding open positions. All candidates must apply through our official application process to be considered

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end systems engineering for rocket engine and thruster programs, from mission definition and requirements to verification and delivery. Coordinate across multidisciplinary teams and customers to ensure technical coherence and system performance.