Valve Development Engineer Verified today
About the role
At The Exploration Company, you will lead the design and development of solenoid isolation valves for our storable propulsion system on Nyx, a modular and reusable orbital vehicle. You will own the electromagnetic, mechanical, and sealing design that makes the valve work reliably over the mission life.
Valve Design and Development
- Support the design of solenoid isolation valves from concept through qualification, balancing performance, mass, reliability, and manufacturability.
- Define and mature valve architecture including poppet/seat design, actuation mechanism, and sealing concept to meet functional and interface requirements.
- Perform mechanical sizing and trade studies (force margins, spring rates, stroke, response time) to support design decisions.
Electromagnetic and Actuation Design
- Design and analyze the solenoid actuator including coil, armature, and magnetic circuit to meet response time, power, and force margin requirements.
- Collaborate with electrical engineers on coil drive electronics and EMI/EMC considerations.
- Support trade-offs between actuation force, power consumption, and thermal dissipation.
Materials, Sealing and Propellant Compatibility
- Select materials and seal designs compatible with storable propellants, ensuring long-term compatibility and low permeation/leakage.
- Define sealing concepts including elastomeric or metal-to-metal designs, balancing leak-tightness, cycle life, and contamination sensitivity.
- Coordinate with materials engineering on qualification of propellant-wetted materials.
Design Verification and Cross-Functional Coordination
- Define and support the verification plan for valve qualification, working closely with test engineers on test setup and success criteria.
- Collaborate with manufacturing engineers to ensure design manufacturability and testability.
- Support anomaly investigations and root cause analysis for valve-level issues, feeding lessons learned back into the design.
Requirements
- B.S. in mechanical, manufacturing, or aerospace engineering with hands-on experience designing valves or similar electromechanical fluid components for space or aerospace applications.
- Experience in solenoid/electromagnetic actuator design (magnetic circuit design, coil design) is a strong plus.
- Strong understanding of sealing technology, elastomer and metal seal design, and propellant compatibility; storable propellant experience preferred.
- Proficiency in CAD (CATIA, NX, or equivalent) and mechanical analysis tools.
- Experience defining and supporting qualification test campaigns for valves.
- Familiarity with applicable standards for valve qualification (NASA, ECSS, or equivalent).
What we're looking for
- Hands-on approach to problem-solving combined with collaborative mindset across multidisciplinary teams.
- Excellent organizational skills and ability to multitask.
- Capability of working autonomously whilst collaborating with remote teams.
- Positive and flexible attitude in a constantly evolving environment.
- Ability to communicate effectively with a wide variety of audiences.
Location
You will work principally at our Bordeaux premises with occasional travel to Munich.