Propulsion Inlet Design Engineer

Department: Airframe

Location: Denver or San Francisco

Compensation: $150K – $210K

Employment Type: FullTime

ABOUT US:

Astro Mechanica is a vertically integrated aerospace company building a faster, more connected future. Our mission is to democratize high-speed flight by making supersonic travel flexible, accessible, and sustainable. We believe that rapid, on-demand, point-to-point global mobility will become the new standard for moving people and goods across the planet. To achieve this, we are integrating our advanced airframe and engine technologies—which include Duality™, our proprietary dual-use propulsion system—with a new flight operations model to make supersonic transport as efficient and economical as commercial air travel is today. In the near term, we are developing adaptable, high-speed systems to close aircraft performance gaps for the United States government.

WHO WE ARE:

We’re a team of passionate engineers dedicated to advancing aerospace. We’re generalists with specialist depth, united by a flat structure and a shared obsession with building things that work well. We move fast, stay pragmatic, and let engineering excellence speak louder than hierarchy.

WHO YOU ARE:

• A senior aerospace engineer with expertise in inlet design and propulsion–airframe integration for high-speed aircraft

• A self-directed engineer who thrives in ambiguous, highly coupled design environments

• Comfortable owning complex subsystems end-to-end, from early analytical trade studies through detailed CFD and system-level integration

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Lead the design, analysis, and integration of supersonic air inlet systems for highly coupled propulsion–airframe configurations

• Develop and apply analytical methods, reduced-order models, and CFD to guide inlet architecture selection and performance trade studies

• Evaluate inlet performance metrics including mass flow capture, pressure recovery, flow distortion, and operability across the flight envelope

• Work closely with propulsion, airframe, and systems engineers to resolve inlet–engine integration challenges such as bleed systems, secondary flows, and transient behavior

• Provide technical leadership and independent judgment in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary aerospace design environment

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

• 5+ years of experience in the design and analysis of air inlet systems

• Experience with supersonic inlet architectures, including axisymmetric spike inlets, two-dimensional inlets, and external/internal compression concepts

• Strong background in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) applied to internal flows

• Experience assessing inlet–engine operability and integration issues, including distortion, bleed management, and transient behavior

• Proven ability to work independently and drive technically rigorous solutions in highly coupled propulsion–airframe designs

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE WOULD

• Be comfortable owning complex subsystems end-to-end, from early analytical trade studies through detailed CFD and system-level integration

• Have demonstrated expertise in the design and analysis of supersonic air inlet systems for high-speed aircraft

PERKS & BENEFITS:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, including Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

• 401(k) program and transparent stock option plan

• Self-managed and flexible time-off policy, including PTO, paid holidays, and sick time

• Flexible work environment

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

At Astro Mechanica, we highly value in-office work to foster collaboration and strengthen our company culture. We consider working in the office five days a week an essential part of the employee's role.

Astro Mechanica is an equal opportunity employer. We proudly recruit and hire a diverse workforce and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.