[Nyx Earth] Valve Development Engineer

The Exploration Company

Here at The Exploration Company, we are developing, producing, and operating Nyx, a modular and reusable space orbital vehicle that can eventually be refuelled in orbit and that can carry cargo - and potentially humans in the longer run. The heart of a spacecraft lies in its propulsion system, and that's why we, at The Exploration Company, are dedicated to developing our own cutting-edge Propulsion Systems ensuring the highest level of efficiency and reliability in our space endeavors. We are seeking a talented Valve Development Engineer to help us in our mission by leading the development of valves for our Nyx. You will be responsible for the technical compliance of the valves (bang bang valve, latching valves, solenoid valves) we will develop. You will report to the Propulsion Units Development & Procurement Principal.. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: * Define and maintain the best technical baseline for the valves, in strong collaboration with the system, avionics, vehicle design and AIT teams: requirements specification (including verification method), product architecture, interfaces (fluidic, mechanical, thermal, electrical and data) and performances. * Actively support the engineering teams (system, VDT, avionics, propulsion) during the Nyx Earth capsule design and development, with a strong focus on valve interfaces. * Create the CAD for the component, create and review engineering drawings, and perform analysis on the component. You are responsible for the component from idealization until the flight delivery of the product. * Structural analysis of each component, referring to the MMPDS and NASA/ESA standards, to define the appropriate safety margins for the component. * Fluidic analysis to evaluate the flow characteristics of the component, along with performing experimental testing to validate your model. * Magnetic analysis to define the anticipated mechanical force margin of the component. Verification and anchoring of the magnetic model through testing of the valve. The testing will then be used to validate the required margins given by NASA/ESA requirements. * Tolerance analysis to ensure that the assembly, given a worst-case tolerance stack, still complies with the requirements flown down from the specifications provided by NASA / ESA. * Support the AIT team during preparation for integration, integration and testing of the valves on the propulsion development and qualification models and on the flight propulsion system, including review and validation of assembly and test procedures, review and validation of test results, and timely resolution of any non-conformances. * Support preparation of flight operations and procedures, participate in rehearsal and flight operations, review and analyse flight data and treat any abnormal fluid component behavior. WHAT WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE FROM YOU: * Minimum of a bachelor's degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering (advanced degree preferred). * Minimum of 2 years of experience in the development of valves for aerospace liquid propulsion units. * Strong understanding of valves (solenoid valves, latching valves, torque motor valves...), including design, manufacturing and testing. * Excellent collaboration skills for working effectively across departments to achieve seamless system integration. * Fluency in English. Why you should join us! What makes us special here at The Exploration Company and why we think you will enjoy working here is:   * We’re Agile - we make decisions fast whilst keeping our goals and systems in mind  * We’re Open and Collaborative - we are transparent about risks and obstacles, so that we can cooperate to overcome them   * We have a lot of Fun - we refuel our energy knowing we are democratising space. It’s a wonderful and rare opportunity, are YOU up for the challenge?   We'd love to hear from you if you wish to be a part of our journey. Please submit your CV now for immediate consideration and we will be in touch shortly.    The Exploration Company is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Relocation assistance is provided for those willing to relocate including visa sponsorship where applicable.   All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, which will be subject to the country, role, and project you applied for. By submitting your application, you acknowledge and agree that any offer of employment may be conditional upon successful condition of this check. The Exploration Company partners with Zinc Work Limited located in the UK (Zinc), a third-party provider, to ensure this process as efficient and transparent as possible. If applicable, you will receive an email from Zinc upon acceptance of your offer with a link to a secure portal where you can provide the required information to Zinc.

The Exploration Company

Here at The Exploration Company, we are developing, producing, and operating Nyx, a modular and reusable space orbital vehicle that can eventually be refuelled in orbit and that can carry cargo - and potentially humans in the longer run. We want you as a talented Propulsion Thermal Engineer to support the design, analysis, and validation of thermal behavior within Nyx Earth propulsion system. The role focuses on evaluating heat transfer phenomena associated with thruster operation, including heat soak back effects and thermal interactions between closely integrated propulsion components. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES In your capacity as Propulsion Thermal Engineer, your role will be continuously evolving, but day to day your duties will include: * Thermal analysis of thruster interaction with the system * Perform detailed thermal analyses of spacecraft thrusters during steady-state and transient phases. * Assess and justify transient heat soak back effects following thruster shutdown, including impact on surrounding structures and components. * Develop thermal models to predict temperature evolution in propulsion subsystem. * Support and propose design decisions to mitigate adverse thermal interactions. * Modeling & Simulation * Build and correlate thermal mathematical models (Thermal Desktop, ...). * Conduct transient and steady-state simulations. * Perform sensitivity analyses and trade-offs. * Verification & Validation * Support thermal test campaigns (component and system level). * Correlate analytical models with test data. * Documentation & Reviews * Produce technical reports to support design reviews (CDR, QR). * Interface with propulsion, mechanical, and system engineering teams. WHAT WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE FROM YOU * Master’s degree or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field with specialization in thermal sciences. * Experience with propulsion system thermal justification * Strong understanding of: * Heat transfer (conduction, radiation, convection where applicable) * Transient thermal behavior * High-temperature material behavior * Experience with thermal analysis tools (Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT). * Programming/scripting skills (Python, MATLAB) for automation. * Knowledge of spacecraft propulsion systems * Familiarity with ECSS or NASA thermal standards. * Experience in spacecraft development lifecycle. * Cross-disciplinary collaboration * Technical reporting and communication Why you should join us! What makes us special here at The Exploration Company and why we think you will enjoy working here is:   * We’re Agile - we make decisions fast whilst keeping our goals and systems in mind  * We’re Open and Collaborative - we are transparent about risks and obstacles, so that we can cooperate to overcome them   * We have a lot of Fun - we refuel our energy knowing we are democratising space. It’s a wonderful and rare opportunity, are YOU up for the challenge?   We'd love to hear from you if you wish to be a part of our journey. Please submit your CV now for immediate consideration and we will be in touch shortly.    The Exploration Company is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Relocation assistance is provided for those willing to relocate including visa sponsorship where applicable.   All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, which will be subject to the country, role, and project you applied for. By submitting your application, you acknowledge and agree that any offer of employment may be conditional upon successful condition of this check. The Exploration Company partners with Zinc Work Limited located in the UK (Zinc), a third-party provider, to ensure this process as efficient and transparent as possible. If applicable, you will receive an email from Zinc upon acceptance of your offer with a link to a secure portal where you can provide the required information to Zinc.

The Exploration Company

Here at The Exploration Company, we are developing, producing, and operating Nyx, a modular and reusable space orbital vehicle that can eventually be refuelled in orbit and that can carry cargo - and potentially humans in the longer run. As we are working on the detailed design, qualification, and delivery of Nyx Earth, we are looking for a Propulsion Planner to help the propulsion team keep schedule, risk, actions, and milestones clear across development, procurement, test, integration, and flight-readiness activities. You will work closely with propulsion technical owners, program management, procurement, quality, AIT/MAIT, test, and operations teams. The reporting line is to be confirmed between Propulsion leadership and Program Management. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES * Maintain a clear propulsion planning view covering key milestones, dependencies, risks, actions, reviews, supplier inputs, test campaigns, and integration needs. * Support milestone flow down from the Nyx Earth program schedule into propulsion subsystem and equipment-level activities. * Keep propulsion risk and action tracking up to date, with clear owners, due dates, mitigation status, and escalation needs. * Prepare concise planning dashboards and status inputs for propulsion and program reviews. * Work with technical owners to identify schedule slips, long-lead items, evidence gaps, supplier dependencies, and recovery options early. * Help the propulsion team keep planning routines practical, useful, and connected to real technical progress. WHAT WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE FROM YOU * Background in aerospace engineering, systems engineering, project management, operations, industrial engineering, or a related field. * Experience with schedule management, milestone tracking, risk management, action tracking, or project controls in a complex technical environment. * Strong interest in spacecraft propulsion and hardware development. * Familiarity with tools such as MS Project, monday.com, Jira, Excel, Power BI, or similar planning and reporting tools. * Ability to work with engineering teams and translate technical uncertainty into clear planning, risk, and decision language. * Excellent organization, communication, and follow-through. * Fluency in English; French and/or German are useful assets. SKILLS AND BEHAVIORS * You are structured and reliable: people can trust your planning data. * You raise risks early and make blockers visible before they become surprises. * You communicate clearly with engineers, program leaders, procurement, quality, test, and operations teams. * You balance pragmatism with discipline: enough process to help the team, not enough to slow it down. * You are curious about technical context and comfortable asking questions until the plan reflects reality. WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN US * We are agile: we make decisions fast while keeping our goals and systems in mind. * We are open and collaborative: we are transparent about risks and obstacles so we can solve them together. * We have a lot of fun: we refuel our energy knowing we are democratizing space. We would love to hear from you if you want to be part of our journey. The Exploration Company is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. Why you should join us! What makes us special here at The Exploration Company and why we think you will enjoy working here is:   * We’re Agile - we make decisions fast whilst keeping our goals and systems in mind  * We’re Open and Collaborative - we are transparent about risks and obstacles, so that we can cooperate to overcome them   * We have a lot of Fun - we refuel our energy knowing we are democratising space. It’s a wonderful and rare opportunity, are YOU up for the challenge?   We'd love to hear from you if you wish to be a part of our journey. Please submit your CV now for immediate consideration and we will be in touch shortly.    The Exploration Company is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Relocation assistance is provided for those willing to relocate including visa sponsorship where applicable.   All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, which will be subject to the country, role, and project you applied for. By submitting your application, you acknowledge and agree that any offer of employment may be conditional upon successful condition of this check. The Exploration Company partners with Zinc Work Limited located in the UK (Zinc), a third-party provider, to ensure this process as efficient and transparent as possible. If applicable, you will receive an email from Zinc upon acceptance of your offer with a link to a secure portal where you can provide the required information to Zinc.