Principal Propulsion Engineer, UAS Systems

About the role

We're a combat-tested group of engineers, operators, and entrepreneurs who believe America's edge depends on autonomous airpower that's trusted and deployable today not in 2040. Backed by tier-one investors, we've secured the runway - financial, regulatory, and literal - to move at startup speed while tackling a national-security mission that matters. We've structured the company for radical ownership: no silos, no "systems integrator" overhead, just tightly knit mission-focused IPTs that live and breathe the hardware and code they ship. If you thrive where hard-tech ambition meets national-security urgency, you'll build faster here than anywhere else. Let's get after it. Culture That Ships Strong Core Values, Startup Execution. Integrity, Service Before Self, Excellence, Honor, Courage, Commitment-powered by a bias for action and a "figure it out" mindset. Self-Starters Only. You'll have clear objectives, a blank sheet of paper, and the trust (plus capital) to move fast. Bureaucracy stays out of your way. One Team, No Tourists. Whether you're tuning a control law at 2 a.m. or heat-treating a Ti-6Al-4V spar, everyone sweats the details. We celebrate wins together and own failures together.

Responsibilities

• Own the Propulsion Architecture
• Lead engine selection and sizing trades
• Define propulsion system architecture including nacelle, mounts, fuel, controls, and thermal integration
• Tie propulsion performance to mission modeling and aircraft-level requirements
• Drive Aircraft-Level Integration
• Lead engine-to-airframe integration across structures, aerodynamics, avionics, and autonomy
• Define propulsion interfaces and manage integration risks
• Partner cross-functionally to retire vibration, thermal, and installation risks early
• Lead OEM & Supplier Engagement
• Serve as primary technical interface with engine OEMs
• Evaluate performance guarantees, integration constraints, and certification pedigree
• Ensure long-lead propulsion risks are proactively managed
• Enable Certification & Airworthiness
• Support FAA and/or military airworthiness compliance strategy
• Contribute to propulsion-related hazard analyses and safety documentation
• Help shape the path from experimental testing to certified operations
• Support Test & Validation
• Define propulsion ground and flight test instrumentation strategies
• Correlate models with test data
• Own performance validation against mission requirements

Requirements

• Deep Propulsion Expertise
• 10+ years of experience in aircraft propulsion or propulsion integration
• Experience integrating turboprop and/or small turbofan engines
• Strong understanding of engine performance, SFC, installation effects, and mission sizing
• Aircraft-Level Systems Thinking
• Experience leading propulsion integration on a clean-sheet or major derivative program
• Working knowledge of structural loads, vibration, thermal management, and FADEC integration
• Comfort operating at aircraft architecture level, not just component level
• Technical Leadership
• Experience interfacing directly with engine OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers
• Ability to lead trade studies and defend architecture decisions at design reviews
• Strong written and verbal technical communication skills
• Analytical Rigor
• Proficiency in MATLAB, Python, or similar tools
• Experience correlating analytical models with ground or flight test data
• Bonus Points
• FAA Part 23 or Part 25 propulsion certification experience
• Military airworthiness or DoD program experience
• Experience with MBSE tools (e.g., Cameo)
• Experience integrating propulsion with autonomy or unmanned systems
• Flight test support experience
• Why You'll Love Working Here (Compensation and Benefits)
• Base Salary: $165,000 to 245,000 USD
• Platinum Healthcare Benefits: Atropos offers comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans with 100% employer-paid premiums and little to no cost to you
• Basic Life/AD&D and long-term disability insurance 100% covered by Atropos, plus the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents
• Unlimited PTO, with minimum of 15 days enforced
• 20 weeks of paid Caregiver & Wellness Leave to care for a family member, bond with your baby, or tend to your own medical condition
• Family Planning & Parenting Support: Fertility (eg, IVF, preservation), adoption, and gestational carrier coverage with additional benefits and resources to provide support from planning to parenting
• Mental Health Resources: We provide free mental healt

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