Senior Components Engineer - Valves & Actuators

Senior Components Engineer – Valves & Actuators

Ever wanted to own a piece of rocket hardware from the first design sketch all the way through to testing and flight?

I'm partnered with an ambitious, well-funded space company developing next-generation reusable launch vehicles, and they're looking for a Senior Components Engineer to take ownership of critical valve and actuator systems.

This is a genuinely hands-on engineering opportunity. You won't just be designing components and handing them off to another team. You'll be involved in the complete lifecycle, from defining requirements and developing concepts through manufacturing, assembly, testing and qualification.

The hardware is varied and technically challenging, spanning cryogenic propellant valves, high-pressure flow control, rocket engine systems and precision actuation.

What you'll be doing:

• Design and develop valves and actuators for rocket engines and launch vehicle fluid systems.
• Own components from initial requirements and CAD design through manufacturing, testing and qualification.
• Perform structural and fluid analysis using hand calculations, FEA and CFD.
• Work closely with manufacturing teams, getting hands-on with hardware builds, troubleshooting and design improvements.
• Develop and execute component test plans, including development, acceptance and qualification testing.
• Collaborate with propulsion, fluids and controls engineers to solve complex system-level challenges.
• Help develop reliable, manufacturable components suitable for high-rate production.

What we're looking for:

• 5+ years of experience developing valves, actuators or closely related fluid-control hardware.
• Strong mechanical engineering fundamentals, particularly fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, structures and control systems.
• Practical experience designing, assembling and testing real hardware.
• Familiarity with high-pressure or cryogenic fluid systems, sealing, instrumentation and precision mechanical components.
• Strong CAD skills, ideally Siemens NX, alongside experience with FEA or fluid analysis tools.

Why consider it?

✅ True engineering ownership – Take responsibility for your hardware from concept to qualification, rather than being restricted to one stage of development.

✅ Hardware-rich environment – Work directly with components, manufacturing and testing rather than spending your entire career behind a CAD screen.

✅ Interesting technical challenges – Design high-performance components operating under extreme pressures, temperatures and demanding reliability requirements.

✅ Fast iteration – Work in an environment with in-house manufacturing capabilities, allowing rapid design improvements and genuine interaction between engineering and production.

✅ Long-term opportunity – Competitive compensation, equity, comprehensive benefits and the chance to contribute directly to the future of reusable spaceflight.

If you're a mechanical or aerospace engineer who enjoys designing complex hardware, getting your hands dirty and seeing your engineering decisions translate into real products, I'd love to hear from you.