Powerpack Engineer Level III | Job Description

Cowboy Space Corp. is building the infrastructure to power and connect the orbital economy. Our satellites operate in Low Earth Orbit to collect sunlight and enable a new class of capabilities—from powering on-orbit compute, to transmitting energy via infrared lasers (space-to-earth and space-to-space), powering on-orbit compute to delivering secure, high-bandwidth optical data. By rethinking how energy and data are generated and distributed in space, we’re unlocking entirely new ways to operate both in orbit and on Earth.

Founded in 2024 by Baiju Bhatt (co-founder of Robinhood), Cowboy Space Corp. is backed by leading investors and built by a team from top aerospace and defense organizations. We’re moving quickly to solve complex technical challenges and build a new category of space infrastructure.

About the Role:

The turbopump is the heart of the engine and sets its performance ceiling, and in this role, you will own pieces of it outright. You are the responsible engineer for the design definition, interfaces, fabrication, build, and test performance of your hardware — ore to orbit. As you trade different designs in the design space, you will own the case that your hardware meets its requirements and define what needs to be proven by analysis, what needs to be proven on the stand, and the plan that closes both. This is where you put your name on flight hardware.

Responsibilities:

• Bring a culture of creativity to every design challenge. Own each solution or improvement with true accountability, seeing it through to completion.

• Own the mechanical design of turbopump components and assemblies from concept through hot fire testing and flight: CAD models, design definitions, tolerances, GD&T, material and process specifications, analysis cycles, and the requirements each component must meet.

• Integrate constraints from hydro, aero, structures, secondary flow, and thermals into a single coherent design.

• Control the configuration and record pedigree for your components across build, test, and refurbishment cycles.

• Drive hardware through manufacturing and assembly: fabrication, first-article review, and nonconformance disposition.

• Independently build the verification plan for your hardware. Decide what gets proven by analysis and what gets proven on the stand, then close both.

• Ensure test readiness, author instrumentation requests, perform real-time support and data reduction for component and engine tests.

• Independently troubleshoot anomalies on your hardware, run root cause to closure, and fold the corrective action back into the design.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related engineering field.

• Proficiency in 3D CAD and in producing released, manufacturable design definitions with sound geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), and tolerance stack-ups.

• Working knowledge of turbomachinery fundamentals.

• Hands-on experience with hardware from design through build and test.

• Experience selecting materials and manufacturing processes for high-stress, high-cycle applications.

• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 5+ years of turbomachinery or turbopump experience.

• Master's degree or Ph.D. in Aerospace, Mechanical, or related engineering field.

• Experience with liquid rocket engine turbopumps or reusable propulsion systems, leading root cause investigations on your hardware to identify cause and implement corrective actions, or experience with adjacent rotating machinery. Gas turbines, industrial pumps, compressors, and turbochargers all build fundamentals that carry over to turbopump design.

• Experience with detailed design and analysis of fluid systems (impellers, diffusers, volutes, turbines, and secondary flow), dynamic seals, and structures.

• Experience leading a root cause investigation on hardware you owned and carrying the corrective action through to closure.

• Familiarity with cryogenic hardware design and cryogenic material behavior.

• Experience with multiple methods of manufacture (additive, forgings, castings).

• Experience at a fast-moving, hardware-focused startup or early-stage program.

• Track record of picking up unfamiliar problems quickly and closing them out with minimal direction.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $135,000 – $175,000 annually. The actual base salary offered will depend on factors such as job-related skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

• Equity in Cowboy Space Corp.

• Employees and their eligible dependents may enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance

• 401(k) retirement savings plan

• Paid time off

• 10 paid holidays per calendar year

• Paid parental leave

• Relocation assistance if applicable

• Daily lunch in the office and a fully stocked kitchen with beverages and snacks

ITAR Requirements

• Export Control Requirement: To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here.

Disclaimer

This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at Cowboy Space Corp.’s discretion.

Cowboy Space Corp. is an equal employment opportunity employer. We consider individuals for employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities and experience. Cowboy Space Corp. is committed to complying with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religious creed, age, national origin, ancestry, physical, mental or developmental disability, sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and medical conditions relating to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), veteran status, military status, marital or registered domestic partnership status, medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state or local laws.