Associate Scientist - System Engineering

We are looking for a Systems Engineer responsible for the design, integration, and qualification of Dream Aerospace's propulsion system — including propellant tanks, feed systems, structural elements, and plumbing — into a complete, standardized propulsion system for small satellite applications. The role requires close coordination with the propulsion engineering team to integrate thruster hardware into a flight-representative system, along with ownership of system-level requirements, interface management, and technical documentation.

Qualifications

• B.E./B.Tech or M.E./M.Tech in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline.
  
• 2+ years of relevant experience.
  

Responsibilities

• Define propulsion system-level requirements, derived from mission and customer requirements (thrust class, total impulse, mass, envelope, interfaces).
  
• Design and integrate the propulsion system architecture — propellant tanks, feed lines, valves, regulators, plumbing, and structural mounting — into a complete, standardized system.
  
• Coordinate with the propulsion engineering team to integrate thruster/engine hardware into the system design.
  
• Perform trade studies on tank selection/sizing, feed-system routing, materials, and structural layout.
  
• Develop and maintain interface control documents (ICDs) with launch vehicle providers, host satellite buses, and other subsystems.
  
• Support structural analysis of propulsion system mounts, tank supports, and load paths.
  
• Plan and execute system-level integration, assembly, and testing (proof pressure, leak checks, functional testing, and environmental testing as applicable).
  
• Track and manage mass properties (mass budget, CG) for the propulsion system.
  
• Support qualification and verification activities to bring the propulsion system to flight readiness.
  
• Maintain technical documentation: requirements documents, verification matrices, ICDs, test procedures, and qualification records.
  
• Coordinate with propulsion, structures, avionics, manufacturing, and mission teams for subsystem and system-level integration.
  
• Follow safety procedures and quality standards during integration and testing, particularly around pressurized propellant systems.
  

Requirements

• Sound understanding of propulsion system architecture — tanks, feed systems, valves, regulators, and plumbing.
  
• Knowledge of propulsion systems, such as bipropellant systems.
  
• Understanding of space-grade standards such as ASME and other applicable standards.
  
• Experience with systems engineering practices: requirements definition, flow-down, interface management, and verification & validation.
  
• Knowledge of structural design/analysis fundamentals as applied to propulsion system mounting and load paths.
  
• Proficient in CAD (SolidWorks) for system-level layout and integration.
  
• Sound knowledge on Manufacturing, Assembly and integration practices.
  
• Worked on P&ID development and interpretation for feed systems and plumbing.
  
• Hands-on experience with pressurized fluid systems and associated safety considerations.
  
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
  
• Good technical documentation and reporting skills (requirements docs, ICDs, verification matrices).
  
• Ability to collaborate effectively across propulsion, structures, avionics, and manufacturing teams.
  
• Experience in drafting of system level requirement documentation planning and preparation.
  

Preferred Skills

• Experience with satellite/spacecraft bus architecture or smallsat propulsion system design.
  
• Familiarity with mass properties management and mass budget tracking.
  
• Knowledge of environmental/qualification testing (vibration, thermal-vac, proof/leak testing).
  
• Experience developing interface control documents (ICDs) for launch vehicle or host satellite interfaces.
  
• Familiarity with MATLAB, Python, or similar tools for systems-level analysis.
  
• Understanding of aerospace system integration and qualification processes.
  
• Experience with configuration management practices.