Senior Associate, Project Engineering
Redmond, Washington
Job ID 38661L3Harris is dedicated to recruiting and developing high-performing talent who are passionate about what they do. Our employees are unified in a shared dedication to our customers’ mission and quest for professional growth. L3Harris provides an inclusive, engaging environment designed to empower employees and promote work-life success. Fundamental to our culture is an unwavering focus on values, dedication to our communities, and commitment to excellence in everything we do.
L3Harris is the Trusted Disruptor in defense tech. With customers’ mission-critical needs always in mind, our employees deliver end-to-end technology solutions connecting the space, air, land, sea and cyber domains in the interest of national security.
Job Title: Sr. Associate, Project Engineering, In-Space Chemical Propulsion
Job Code: 38661
Job Location: Redmond, WA
Job Schedule: 9/80: Employees work 9 out of every 14 days, totaling 80 hours worked, and have every other Friday off
Job Description:
At L3Harris, this role gives an early-career engineer the chance to step directly into real spacecraft hardware work. You will help move chemical propulsion hardware through production, test, and delivery for spaceflight programs, while building the product knowledge and cross-functional judgment that lead to broader technical ownership over time. This is a strong fit for an engineer with strong fundamentals, high motivation, and a desire to learn by working closely with customers, manufacturing, test, quality, and senior engineers on real hardware problems. You will also work across engineering disciplines to support the reviews, inputs, and technical alignment needed to keep hardware and customer deliverables moving. Your impact will be visible in completed hardware, successful hot-fires, and propulsion systems that reach space, the Moon, and Mars. If you want close teamwork, rapid growth, and the opportunity to turn hard work into thrusters that power real spacecraft, we encourage you to apply.
Essential Functions:
Support day-to-day technical execution of in-space chemical thruster projects through production and test for development, qualification, and commercial programs. Work in close coordination with program management, manufacturing, and test to help accelerate issue resolution.
Help drive closure of nonconformances, production issues, and test anomalies with sound engineering judgment and growing product knowledge. Maintain effective working relationships with quality and other support functions.
Support work across engineering disciplines such as systems, structures, thermal, and drawing development. Help track inputs, reviews, and document completion needed to support customer deliverables and program commitments.
Author the technical documentation required to move hardware forward. This includes test plans, procedures, reports, and anomaly documentation.
Provide clear and timely technical responses to customer technical questions, with guidance from more senior engineers as needed. Topics may include hardware status, issue resolution, and test results.
Prepare technical recommendations, trade studies, and issue summaries. Support formal presentations and reports for customer communication and gated product reviews.
Support proposal efforts by developing technical inputs and helping review scope assumptions for applicable engines or hardware efforts.
Analyze and review hotfire test data to help ensure thrusters conform to product line standards and customer specifications. May support testing in-person.
No routine travel is expected for this role.
Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Physics and a minimum of 2 years of prior project engineering experience; or a Graduate Degree with 0 to 2 years of prior project engineering experience; or in lieu of a degree, a minimum of 6 years of prior project engineering experience.
2+ years of experience supporting development, production, integration, qualification testing, or delivery of complex hardware in aerospace, marine, or similar high-reliability engineering environments.
2+ years of experience in at least one of the following areas is required: production support or qualification/development testing. Experience in both is preferred.
2+ years of experience owning assigned technical work and driving closure with strong cross-functional relationships.
2+ years of experience authoring technical documentation such as procedures, reports, data packages, dispositions, or engineering presentations.
Foundational technical understanding with the ability to communicate across engineering disciplines, which may include working with technical inputs from systems, structures, thermal, and design documentation.
Ability to work effectively under moderate supervision, set objectives for assigned work, and determine next steps needed to move hardware or decisions forward.
Ability to assess technical problems, adapt to evolving requirements, and contribute effectively in a fast-paced, technically complex setting.
Preferred Additional Skills:
Strong technical communication with customers, leadership, and cross-functional teams in a fast-moving hardware environment.
Prior experience with propulsion development or hot-fire testing.
Experience with anomaly investigation, nonconformance disposition, and root cause analysis. Experience with corrective action or out-of-plan manufacturing support in a hardware environment is preferred.
Familiarity with propellant and material compatibility, contamination-sensitive hardware handling, and spacecraft propulsion integration practices.
Demonstrated ability to contribute effectively with multi-disciplinary project teams while balancing competing priorities and technical deadlines.
Graduate-level research or project experience in propulsion, fluids, materials, thermal systems, test operations, or other related aerospace hardware topics.
In compliance with pay transparency requirements, the salary range for this role in Washington State is $80,500 - $149,500. This is not a guarantee of compensation or salary, as final offer amount may vary based on factors including but not limited to experience and geographic location. L3Harris also offers a variety of benefits, including health and disability insurance, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, EAP, education assistance, parental leave, paid time off, and company-paid holidays. The specific programs and options available to an employee may vary depending on date of hire, schedule type, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.
L3Harris announced on January 5th, that AE Industrial Partners (“AE Industrial”) has agreed to acquire a controlling interest in L3Harris’ Space Propulsion and Power Systems business. This position has been identified as one that will transition to the new standalone company upon closing of the transaction. Until that time, L3Harris will continue its hiring activity within this business.
L3Harris Technologies is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. L3Harris is committed to treating all employees and applicants for employment with respect and dignity and maintaining a workplace that is free from unlawful discrimination. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or other related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, characteristic or membership in any other group protected by federal, state or local laws. L3Harris maintains a drug-free workplace and performs pre-employment substance abuse testing and background checks, where permitted by law.
Please be aware many of our positions require the ability to obtain a security clearance. Security clearances may only be granted to U.S. citizens. In addition, applicants who accept a conditional offer of employment may be subject to government security investigation(s) and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
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