Director of Cryogenic Propellant Test Operations

Shape the Future of Space and Energy Testing At Barber-Nichols (BN), we engineer custom turbo machinery that powers breakthroughs across Defense, Aerospace, Cryogenics, and Energy. Our customers lead their fields; we help them push farther. If you thrive in high-stakes environments and want your leadership to matter, you’ll find your place here—supported by a team that invests in your growth and celebrates your wins.

Day in the Life You’ll begin your day scanning the operations dashboard, confirming facility readiness for a slate of cryogenic flow tests. A propulsion development campaign needs stand time, a qualification program is awaiting data review, and an infrastructure upgrade window opens this afternoon. You coordinate shifts, align engineering, safety, and quality, and walk down the LOX/LH2/LN2/LCH4 systems to confirm configuration integrity before authorizing operations.

When an anomaly emerges in a data acquisition channel, you guide rapid troubleshooting, protect schedule, and reinforce process discipline—without ever compromising safety.

What You’ll Lead Operational stewardship of a cryogenic and propellant test facility supporting flow testing, qualification, and product development for space, energy, and defense programs.

Safe, reliable, and repeatable execution of cryogenic testing, including planning, scheduling, staffing, and resource management.

Upkeep and availability of storage, transfer, conditioning, pressurization, controls, DAQ, instrumentation, and utilities.

Continuous improvement to increase throughput, reliability, and data quality; establish and track KPIs for safety, quality, schedule, and utilization.

Technical oversight of LOX, LH2, LN2, and methane systems, from hazard analysis and risk mitigation to complex troubleshooting.

Compliance leadership aligned with NASA, NFPA, ISO, AS9100, environmental, export control, and customer requirements.

Definition, documentation, and enforcement of standardized test processes, configuration management, and disciplined data practices.

People leadership: build, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary team of engineers, technicians, and operators; set clear roles and expectations; drive a culture of ownership, collaboration, and safety-first decisions.

Supervisory Scope Direct management of test facility personnel, including hiring, training, performance feedback, and career development. You will also influence across engineering, quality, safety, and program management to deliver on cross-functional commitments.

Your Background BS in Engineering, Physics, or related field (MS preferred).10+ years leading operations in aerospace, propulsion, or cryogenic test environments.

Proven track record running safety-critical, complex technical operations.

Deep expertise in cryogenic propellants (LOX, LH2, LN2, methane), fluid systems, instrumentation, and data acquisition.

History of building/leading high-performing teams and establishing robust safety programs for hazardous systems.

Bonus Points

Experience with spaceflight hardware development, qualification, or production.

Commissioning or upgrading cryogenic test infrastructure.

Hands-on with propulsion systems, turbo machinery, valves, and flow-control hardware testing.

Implementation of QMS and continuous improvement (e.g., AS9100, ISO).Working knowledge of NASA, ISO, NFPA, and AS9100 standards and operations in ITAR/EAR environments.

Compensation & Benefits The salary range for this role is $140,000 - $160,000, commensurate with experience. Final compensation is based on education, training, and directly related experience and may fall outside the stated range.

Medical, Dental, and Vision InsuranceFSA and HSA options with company-paid HSA quarterly contributions

Disability, Life, and AD&D…