Mechanical Design Engineer (Propulsion)

Orbex is looking for a Mechanical Design Engineer, primarily focused on the preliminary and detailed mechanical design of our propulsion systems particular, those with experience in stage propulsion, turbo-machinery, ignition systems and RCS implementations would be particularly well suited to the role.

Orbex

Orbex is a leading micro-launch company with our Prime vehicle being prepared to launch from our home spaceport, Space Hub Sutherland. We are well placed to be one of the first operational micro-launch companies in Europe with over €122m of project financing secured, a number of customers signed up, launch licence application submitted, and backing from organisations including UKSA and ESA.

We are a rapidly growing company with staff located between our production and test facilities in Forres, Scotland and Copenhagen, Denmark. Working on cutting edge advances in rocket fuel technology, Prime’s carbon footprint is up to 96% lower than comparable vehicles, leading to innovations in propulsion and tank structures. A state-of-the-art re-flight system means we can recover and reuse our technology, and innovations in separation mechanisms mean we leave no debris on orbit.

Having developed in-house production capability, we can 3D print complex engines, produce full-scale carbon composite fuel tanks, and have avionics and software testing labs in both Scotland and Denmark. Based in Copenhagen, you will be right in the heart of this fast-paced cutting-edge company, using your skills to build a new launch vehicle for a buoyant commercial market.

The Position  

Your role will primarily focus on the preliminary and detailed mechanical design of our propulsion systems, working with analysis to iterate and improve our designs, you will have ownership of your products end to end, designing, inspecting, testing and iterating to get to optimised, flight-ready hardware. 

The core duties and responsibilities of the Propulsion Design Engineer (Mechanical) role typically include:  

• Design, development and AIT activities on launch vehicle propulsion systems, e.g. main stage propulsion, turbo-machinery, ignition systems and RCS implementations.  

• Hands-on engineering support to component and integrated level testing including definition of test plans, test procedures, data analysis, and reporting. 

• Propulsion hardware CAD modelling and analysis in close collaboration with senior engineers.  

• Supplier liaison and Quality Assurance work on produced propulsion system components/parts including additively manufactured parts.  

• Assembly and operational procedures development supporting of propulsion systems AIT in collaboration with propulsion systems technicians.  

• Design and test documentation preparation and participation in design reviews.  

• Managing multiple tasks and work packages in parallel with changeable priorities. 

Qualifications and Experience 

• Minimum of a Bachelors degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering or a related field 

• 5+ years of experience in mechanical design and development  of propulsion or related systems 

• Proven aptitude for core engineering disciplines such as thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, structural analysis, etc. 

• Experienced in full development process from requirements, detailed design, manufacture, assembly, and testing 

• Experience with detailed mechanical design with SolidWorks, CATIA or similar CAD tool.  

• Experience with generating technical drawings according to standards. 

• Experienced in GD&T, tolerancing, Design for Manufacture (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), and Hand Calculations. 

• Strong proven knowledge of manufacturing techniques commonly applied in rocket propulsion technology, specific emphasis on additive manufacturing desired. 

• Experience with test data analysis and reporting. 

• MS Office tools, full proficiency expected. 

• Strong communication skills in both written and spoken English. 

• Adaptable and able to work under pressure to tight timescales across multiple concurrent workstreams. 

Desired Qualifications and Experience 

• Masters degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering or a related field 

• Liquid or hybrid rocket engine propulsion design and development experience 

• Designs for cryogenic fluids, including liquid oxygen 

• Demonstrated experience with detail design and verification of mechanical hardware for space systems. 

• Practical, hands-on experience testing and validating your designs against specific criteria. 

• Familiarity with metallurgy, material selection and material coatings for space applications. 

• Familiarity with spacecraft structural loads (quasi-static loads, random vibration, shock, thermo-mechanical). 

• Familiarity with industry standards and references (e.g. MIL-HDBK-5/17, ECSS-E-HB-32, NASA-STD-5001, GSFC-STD-7000). 

• Experience with programming tools such as Matlab, Python, etc. 

• Experienced with typical rocket engine performance modeling tools (eg. CEA, RPA, EcosimPro, etc.) would be beneficial but not essential.  

• Experience with numerical simulation tools (e.g. ANSYS Mechanical, Fluent, Abaqus, OpenFOAM)  

• Experience using ERP or PLM software  

Personality

You will have:

• Self-starter mentality with good leadership qualities
• Flexible and dedicated mindset

Location

This role is based in Copenhagen at Orbex’s Danish propulsion engineering and manufacturing site.

You will be spending time both at the factory and our nearby rocket engine testing site, with occasional travel to our main factory, test and launch sites in Scotland.

Copenhagen is one of Europe's most modern and aesthetically interesting cities. It is regarded as being one of the most livable cities in the world, with a strong reputation for being clean, green and sustainable.

With a huge, active waterfront and a lively social scene, Copenhagen offers a wide range of social activities and leisure opportunities, all with a uniquely Scandinavian flair. Activities include cycling and sailing, and the centre of the city is famed for it's cultural highlights.

Security

You must be a UK or European citizen, or from a country that is a signatory to the MTCR convention. 

Benefits

For the right candidate we offer an excellent benefits package that includes the opportunity to earn an equity stake in the company plus relocation assistance where appropriate. You must be a European citizen, from a country that is a signatory to the MTCR convention. This is a compelling and rare career opportunity.

• Extremely Competitive salary
• An enhanced vacation policy
• A significant equity stake in the company so you will really benefit from your hard work as the company grows and is successful. 
• Group Life Insurance policy
• Our roles need to be on-site in Copenhagen due to the nature of the position, export controls and security, but we are happy to sponsor visas for you and your family and provide relocation assistance as required.