Senior R&D Engineer – SRM Ballistician

• Generate rocket motor concepts from high-level thrust and burn-time requirements
• Refine detailed propellant grain and nozzle designs
• Define propellant grain geometries and optimize burn rates, thrust curves, and pressure profiles
• Collaborate with design engineers on operating pressures
• Collaborate with analysts on temperature and load profiles
• Collaborate with chemists on ballistic requirements
• Collaborate with manufacturing engineers to ensure grain geometry can be produced
• Conduct research, design, and development of new or improved products, processes, or services
• Optimize designs for manufacturability with internal manufacturing partners, contract manufacturers, designers, and product specialists
• Use CAD/CAE systems to model designs and produce engineering drawings
• Conduct market research, track projects, evaluate trade space in spreadsheets, create presentation slides, and execute business-oriented tasks
• Learn complex systems and technologies and develop robust solutions
• Evolve business strategy through technology assessment, competitive evaluation, industry research, road-mapping, and SWOT analysis
• Conduct initial business case evaluations and identify value propositions
• Summarize research results and communicate findings internally and externally
• Develop technical documentation
• Create rocket motor concepts to meet customer requirements
• Lead static fire test campaigns and ground-based prototyping
• Analyze test data to validate performance and investigate anomalies
• Reduce strand burner, subscale, and full-scale motor data to determine propellant burn-rate properties
• Oversee propellant casting and curing cycles
• Review tool designs
• Travel up to 25%

• Associate's Degree and 10–12 years' experience
• Engineering degree required
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, and Power Point
• Expertise in the job discipline and broad knowledge of related organizational disciplines
• Ability to solve unique problems with broad business impact
• Ability to exercise discretion and judgment
• Knowledge of CAD or CAE systems
• Ability to understand complex systems, systems of systems, and related technologies
• Advanced technical skills, including modifying or extending theories, concepts, and practices
• Ability to remain stationary at a desk and/or computer for extended periods
• Requires regular movement throughout GD-OTS facilities
• Up to 25% travel likely

Demonstrates expertise in rocket motor design, including propellant grain and nozzle optimization, while effectively collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure manufacturability and performance validation. Proficient in CAD/CAE systems and skilled in conducting market research and technical documentation.

• Rocket Motor Design
• CAD/CAE Systems
• Propellant Grain Optimization
• Technical Documentation
• Market Research

• Rocket Motor Concepts
• Propellant Grain Design
• Thrust Curve Optimization
• Test Data Analysis
• Engineering Drawings

• Problem Solving
• Discretion and Judgment
• Collaboration

• Associate's Degree
• Engineering Degree

• Manufacturability
• Ballistic Requirements
• SWOT Analysis
• Business Case Evaluations
• Ground-Based Prototyping

• Microsoft Office
• Excel
• Word
• Power Point