Propulsion Engineer

Company Overview

Wild West Systems is an American defense technology company with the mission to equip the civilized world with superior and affordable arms and advanced technologies – to dominate the battlefield of present and future threats, in a new era of asymmetrical warfare. We fuse versatile domain experience with novel approach and creativity to change the paradigm of defense – both for military arenas and civilian soft targets.

We’re an early stage startup, rapidly moving and growing.

Location:

Onsite – Leander, TX

• Employment Type:
  
  Full-Time

• Deep love for America and passion for Wild West Systems' mission.
• Self-starter, capable of performing tasks as an individual as well as working well in a team.
• Servant-leader mentality, extreme ownership, willing to participate in different and rapidly changing projects in a dynamic environment. Bias for action.
• ITAR REQUIREMENT:
  To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C.
• 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C.
• 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

• Translate mission requirements into propulsion and aerodynamic design parameters.
• Perform rapid engineering analysis using:
  • Hand calculations
  • Simplified analytical models
  • Simulation tools
  • CFD
• Design and evaluate propulsion systems including:
  • Solid rocket motors
  • Nozzle geometry
  • Propellant grain geometry
  • Pressure and burn rate behavior
  • Thermal and structural loads
• Model internal ballistics and pressure dynamics in solid propellant systems.
• Optimize propellant core geometry to achieve target thrust profiles and burn behavior.
• Analyze external aerodynamics of flight vehicles across subsonic through supersonic regimes.
• Calculate and validate:
  • Drag components (base, form, friction, shock)
  • Aerodynamic coefficients
  • Center of pressure vs center of gravity relationships
  • Flight stability and control behavior
• Develop and run CFD simulations to validate design assumptions.
• Write code to automate analysis, simulation workflows, and performance modeling.
• Work closely with manufacturing, systems, and testing teams to translate designs into real hardware.
• Support flight tests and ground tests, diagnose performance issues, and iterate quickly.

• You are comfortable solving physics problems from first principles.
• You can move between quick hand calculations, simplified models, and high-fidelity simulations without losing intuition.
• You make decisions quickly and back them up with analysis.
• You are not waiting for perfect information to move forward.
• You are comfortable working on new or unconventional technology where no one has all the answers yet.
• You enjoy difficult problems where engineering judgment matters.
• You are hands-on and willing to learn across propulsion, aerodynamics, and system integration.
• You are motivated by building real systems, not just running models.

• CFD modeling (ANSYS Fluent preferred)
• Coding for engineering analysis (Python or MATLAB preferred)
• CAD modeling proficiency (Solid Works, Onshape, or equivalent)
• Solid mechanical engineering fundamentals
• Strong understanding of compressible flow, gas dynamics, and heat transfer
• Ability to perform first-order engineering calculations quickly and accurately
• Experience translating performance requirements into engineering design constraints

• Internal ballistics and solid propellant behavior
• Burn rate dynamics and pressure coupling
• Solid rocket motor design including:
  • Nozzle geometry
  • Ignition systems
  • Insulation and materials
  • Structural analysis
• Propellant grain/core…