Dawn Aerospace Looking for Propulsion Engineer at Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand Full Time

This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to an exciting, fast-growing company in the aerospace industry and develop world-leading technology. In this role you will primarily be involved in the assembly and testing of the main propulsion system of our Spaceplane and well as manufacturing and sourcing of components. Your experience and good engineering judgement will be valuable contributors to design discussions and trade-offs. Your knowledge in the manufacturing, assembling and testing will be of great value in bringing Dawn’s young and dynamic propulsion team to the next level. You must have the ability and desire to work in a young company. If you want a smooth and routine role, this is not for you. We believe in giving you the tools you need, then getting out of your way. For this role you are expected to take ownership of certain subsystems on the engine and in the plane. We are looking for someone who can take initiative and work with minimal direction.

What You’ll Do

• Assemble, integrate, and test the main engine for the Mk-II rocket-powered aircraft.
• Lead the design and development of electric pumps for the propulsion system.
• Manufacture, test, and iterate propulsion system components.
• Analyse test data, troubleshoot issues, and implement rapid solutions.
• Support the mechanical integration of propulsion subsystems.
• Create technical documentation, assembly manuals, test procedures, and reports.

What You’ll Bring

• 3+ years of experience in rocket engine design, manufacturing, and/or testing (student projects and internships count).
• Hands-on experience with rocket engine pumps or equivalent systems.
• Strong mechanical background, with experience in hardware testing and troubleshooting.
• A degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience working with suppliers for components and parts.
• Strong communication skills in English (written & spoken).
• Proficiency in MS Office tools.

Bonus Skills

• Experience with LabView for data acquisition and control.
• Proficiency in CAD tools (SolidWorks, NX, etc.).
• Experience with numerical analysis tools (MATLAB, Python, etc.).
• Hands-on fabrication skills, including:
• Lathe operation
• TIG/MIG welding
• 3-axis CNC machining
• Experience in additive manufacturing / 3D printing for propulsion components.

About Dawn Aerospace

Dawn Aerospace is revolutionizing sustainable, high-frequency spaceflight. Our Mk-II Aurora spaceplane demonstrator has completed 50 successful flights and we recently completed the first campaign utilising rocket engines. Mk-II is unique in that it combines the performance of a rocket and the rapid reusability and economic model of an aircraft.

Apply for this Job

Important! If you think you have what it takes but are unsure that you check every box, we still want to hear from you.

Please also note that due to our current customer base and the nature of our industry we are required to conduct background checks that are undertaken for security reasons. These checks will include nationality checks as it is a requirement of this position that the Employee be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by the United States’ International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Under these Regulations, an employee may be ineligible for a role in our Dutch or New Zealand office if they do not hold citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union or a country that is part of NATO, or if they hold ineligible dual citizenship or nationality.