About this opportunity
Hop Aero lists this Propulsion Mechanical Engineer opportunity in orange county, California. Review the employer’s description below for duties, qualifications and application requirements.
Job description
Hop Aero is a venture-backed startup building rockets that deliver cargo anywhere on Earth in minutes.
Our mission is to enable resilient global logistics to protect and improve our way of life.
Our founding team has prior experience founding a satellite startup and taking it to orbit, launching 20+ Falcon 9 missions at SpaceX, and leading engineering teams at some of the world’s most advanced aerospace organizations. The company is well-capitalized through venture funding and government contracts.
About the role
We’re hiring a Propulsion Mechanical Engineer to own the development of electric propellant pumps (e-pumps) and high-speed rotating machinery for Hop Aero’s rocket propulsion systems.
This is a foundational technical role. You will establish our internal electric-pump capability from first principles, taking hardware from early architecture and analysis through detailed design, manufacturing, test, and ultimately flight. You will also work on designing key mechanical interfaces in the propulsion system.
We’re looking for someone who is comfortable owning difficult hardware problems end-to-end. You should be equally happy running a cavitation or rotordynamics analysis, reviewing an impeller design, talking through tolerances with a machine shop, instrumenting a test article, and standing next to the test stand when it runs.
This is not a narrow analysis role. You will work directly with propulsion, fluids, avionics, manufacturing, software, and test teams to develop tightly integrated propulsion hardware in a fast-moving environment.
Job Description
Serve as the responsible engineer for electric propellant pumps and associated high-speed rotating machinery
Own electric-pump development from architecture through design, manufacturing, integration, and test
Design pump components including impellers, inducers, volutes, housings, shafts, bearings, and seals
Design propulsion component interfaces, sealing surfaces, flanges, mounting features, and related mechanical hardware
Integrate high-power-density motors, inverters, controllers, sensors, and associated electrical systems
Perform hydraulic, cavitation, rotordynamic, structural, and thermal analysis
Define mechanical, fluid, electrical, and software interfaces with the engine and vehicle teams
Develop practical manufacturing strategies and work directly with machine shops and suppliers
Plan, instrument, and execute electric-pump development testing
Analyze pressure, flow, vibration, temperature, current, and speed data to diagnose hardware performance
Own technical risks through design reviews, test-readiness reviews, and development campaigns
Work in person with the team at our shop in Orange, CA.
Requirements
3-6 years of relevant engineering experience in centrifugal pumps, high-speed rotating equipment, turbomachinery, or similar fluid machinery
Demonstrated ability to design, build, and test rotating mechanical hardware
Strong understanding of pump hydraulics, cavitation, rotordynamics, bearings, seals, balancing, and high-speed shaft systems
Experience taking mechanical hardware from analysis and CAD through manufacturing and test
Experience working directly with machine shops, vendors, and manufacturing suppliers
Ability to interpret pressure, flow, vibration, temperature, current, and rotational-speed data
Ability to work effectively across propulsion, fluids, avionics, software, manufacturing, and test disciplines
Willingness to be highly hands-on in a small, fast-moving hardware organization
Must be a US Person under ITAR - Hop Aero will not sponsor visas for this role.
Nice to have
Experience with rocket-engine turbopumps or electric propellant pumps
Experience integrating high-power-density electric motors and inverters
Experience with very high-speed shafts, bearings, seals, and rotating assemblies
Experience with additively manufactured impellers, volutes, housings, or other propulsion components
Experience developing cryogenic or other demanding fluid systems
Experience transitioning development hardware into repeatable flight hardware
Prior experience at a fast-moving aerospace or hardware startup
What we offer
Competitive salary and meaningful stock options
Healthcare, office meals & snacks
Direct mentorship and collaboration with founders & engineers with rich flight heritage
Significant technical ownership from day one
Fast upward mobility as the company grows
Even if you don’t meet every single requirement, we’d still love to hear from you. Greatness looks different in every one of us - and we need the best tackling this problem.
Who can apply
Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.