Project Engineer: XIPS Thrusters

Job Title: Specialist, Project Engineer

Job Title: Senior Specialist, Project Engineer 

Salary: $85,000-$130,000/yr DoE

Job Location: Torrance, CA

Stellant Systems Inc. (Stellant) currently has an opportunity for an Onsite Project Engineer role supporting Xenon Ion Propulsion (XIPS) and XIPS Power Controller (XPC) production at out Torrance facility. Stellant is an industry leader in electric propulsion, delivering XIPS or other thruster systems since 1995. In this position you will support production, continuous improvement, customer needs and future development efforts in the fields of ion thrusters, electric propulsion, and high voltage power supplies. Stellant is currently developing in a new gridded ion thruster, plus setting up the factory for increased throughput of XIPS systems. This role will heavily support that effort. As project engineer, you will also be responsible for technical support throughout the life cycle of a program: from the mentioned development, then on to procurement, manufacturing, testing, troubleshooting and customer reporting. This role will support business development, proposals and program management functions as needed as well as supporting Stellant’s busy Space Traveling Wave Tube (TWT) or Electronic Power Conditioner (EPC) Teams as needed.

• Development of new gridded ion thruster and power supply
  • Optimizing thruster design
  • Executing development plan
  • Releasing print packages
  • Manufacturing and testing new gridded ion thruster as well as high voltage power supply
  • Develop an overarching understanding of the processes that go into a XIPS unit.
• Supporting customer meetings, milestones (CDR, PDR, MRR …) and guiding the team through those events
• Work as a lead member of a multidisciplinary engineering team to develop or troubleshoot design and production needs to meet performance, cost and schedule metrics
• Actively seek out innovative technologies and oversee new product development to ensure continued industry leadership
• Support bid and proposal activities, including analyzing customer specifications to evaluate feasibility and cost
• Communicate effectively with vendors, customers, and other Stellant personnel
• Perform modeling and design engineer tasks on current or future products

Minimum of 4 or 6 years of relevant engineering experience (depending on level). Experience in one or more of the following is preferred: project engineering, satellites, electric propulsion or plasma physics, high voltage power supplies, electron beam or vacuum equipment. An advanced degree in a relevant field can be considered sufficient experience in lieu of some profession experience. Other qualifications that will enable you to perform successfully in this position include:

• Project or system engineering with hands on experience preferred
• Knowledge of the design, manufacturing or testing of electric propulsion, dispenser cathodes, ion sources or other vacuum technologies is a plus
• Knowledge of circuit design tools a plus
• Hands on engineering experience with high voltage, vacuum equipment, power supplies and/or space products a plus.
• Experience working with engineering drawings or CAD software nice to have
• Strong problem-solving skills, utilizing industry-standard root cause corrective action (RCCA) methodologies
• Effective verbal and written communication skills are needed, with experience presenting to internal and/or external customers a plus
• Experience in interpreting customer specifications into test requirement and comparing against test data
• Must be able to work well in a team environment and with individuals from a variety of areas within the company (such as program managers, engineers from multiple disciplines, business development staff, senior management, and manufacturing and test personnel)
• A bachelor's degree in physics or an engineering discipline is required. A master's degree or PhD in one of these disciplines a plus
• Understanding of computer modeling and simulation a plus
• Computer programming skills a plus
• Proficiency using Microsoft Office applications is necessary

Stellant Systems is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. We consider applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, disability, genetic information, citizenship status or membership in any other group protected by federal, state or local law.

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S. (e.g. Green Card holder), or a protected individual as defined by the International Traffic in Arm Regulations (ITAR).