Lead Propulsion Test Engineer

Spacecraft represent the most pressing unmet need across the entire aerospace industry. As more launch vehicles come online and the cost to orbit decreases, more companies launching payloads to space continue to emerge.

For the first time in history, this influx of payload companies combined with reduced launch costs has resulted in a massive increase in need for commercial spacecraft platforms, known as satellite buses. These buses hold the payloads of our customers and are flown on launch vehicles.

Apex manufactures these satellite buses at scale using a combination of software, vertical integration, and hardware that is designed for manufacturing. Our spacecraft enable the future of society: ranging from earth observation to communications and more.

We’d love for you to join us on our mission of providing humankind access to the galaxy beyond our planet. 

Apex is seeking a Lead Propulsion Test Engineer to build and lead the team responsible for testing the propulsion hardware that flies on every Apex spacecraft. Your team will own the test infrastructure used to develop, characterize, qualify, and acceptance test thrusters, flow controllers, PPUs, and integrated propulsion systems, from development test stands through production-scale vacuum test capability.

This is a hands-on technical and people leadership role. You will grow and develop a team of test engineers and technicians, own the design and buildout of propulsion test infrastructure, and be accountable for test capacity, throughput, data quality, and safety. As Apex scales propulsion production, you will build the systems, processes, and infrastructure that allow test to scale with it.

Responsibilities:

• Build, lead, and develop a team of propulsion test engineers and technicians, setting a high bar for safety, technical rigor, execution, and ownership.

• Own the design, build, and operation of test stands for thrusters, flow controllers, PPUs, and integrated propulsion systems, including fluid and electrical GSE, instrumentation, diagnostics, data acquisition, and controls.

• Own Apex’s propulsion vacuum test infrastructure, including chambers, pumping systems, thermal and cryogenic capability, instrumentation, maintenance, and capacity planning.

• Develop scalable acceptance test (ATP) infrastructure and processes that support high-rate propulsion production.

• Own propulsion test capacity, scheduling, throughput, data quality, and turnaround across development, qualification, and production test campaigns.

• Establish and enforce test safety standards for vacuum, high-pressure, high-voltage, and other hazardous operations, including procedures, training, and test readiness reviews.

• Partner with Environmental Test and Ground Software to standardize test tooling, automation, data acquisition, and infrastructure across Apex.

• Work closely with propulsion component teams, propulsion module teams, Systems Engineering, Production, Quality, and Facilities to define test requirements and ensure results are traceable and actionable.

• Support development testing, qualification, production acceptance, launch campaigns, and anomaly resolution, including leading root-cause investigations when issues arise.

• Own test infrastructure budgets, vendors, build-vs-buy decisions, and long-term capacity planning as propulsion production scales.

Qualifications:

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

• 10+ years of test engineering experience with significant experience testing propulsion, vacuum, or other high-energy hardware.

• Experience designing, building, and commissioning test stands or test facilities, including instrumentation, data acquisition, controls, and GSE.

• Hands-on experience with vacuum test facilities, including pumping systems, chamber operations, and vacuum instrumentation.

• Demonstrated experience leading and developing engineers and/or technicians.

• Strong understanding of test safety for vacuum, high-pressure, high-voltage, and hazardous operations.

• Experience owning test schedules, capacity, throughput, and data quality for complex hardware programs.

• Strong cross-functional communication skills with the ability to work across design engineering, software, production, quality, facilities, and leadership.

• Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual) as defined by ITAR (22 CFR §120.15).

Nice to Have:

• Master’s or Ph.D. in a related engineering field.

• Experience testing electric propulsion hardware, including thrusters, cathodes, flow controllers, or PPUs.

• Experience with plasma or plume diagnostics, thrust measurement, and electric propulsion performance characterization.

• Experience building or scaling test infrastructure for high-rate hardware production, including production acceptance testing.

• Experience with automated test systems, standardized data acquisition, and ground software.

• Experience with environmental testing, including vibration, TVAC, or EMI/EMC.

• Experience with range safety, pressure systems, or related requirements such as SSCMAN/AFSPCMAN 91-710.

#LI-MO1