Senior Propulsion Engineer

Divergent is building the new industrial age. Every day, our teams design, manufacture, and assemble advanced systems for some of the world’s most demanding industries. Our integrated engineering and manufacturing platform transforms complex designs into production-ready solutions, helping customers move faster, build smarter, and deliver critical systems when they matter most. Divergent is a qualified Tier 1 supplier to global automotive OEMs and supports leading U.S. aerospace and defense companies.

Join us and help push the boundaries of what can be built.

Purpose

Divergent is seeking an experienced Senior Propulsion Engineer to support the development of next-generation propulsion systems, with an initial focus on turbojet engine development. We are transforming traditional engine design and manufacturing by leveraging advanced materials, additive manufacturing, and functional integration through our Divergent Adaptive Production System (DAPS).

This is an opportunity to join a greenfield, first-of-its-kind propulsion development program and play a critical role in bringing innovative engine architectures from concept to hardware. The ideal candidate brings deep technical expertise in propulsion or turbomachinery, a strong foundation in multidisciplinary engineering, and a hands-on approach to solving complex challenges through rapid prototyping, testing, and iteration.

Depending on experience and demonstrated technical experience, this position may be hired at the Engineer, Senior Engineer, or Staff Engineer level.

The Role

• Drive the design, development, and integration of next-generation propulsion systems, with an emphasis on turbojet engines and turbomachinery.
• Own key propulsion subsystems and components from initial concept and requirements development through detailed design, hardware build, integration, and testing.
• Apply engineering fundamentals across thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, structural mechanics, and materials science to solve complex propulsion challenges.
• Develop and optimize critical engine components, including compressors, turbines, combustion systems, rotating assemblies, valves, and instrumentation.
• Partner with cross-functional engineering teams across design, analysis, manufacturing, and testing to develop integrated propulsion solutions.
• Leverage Divergent's DAPS technology stack to incorporate additive manufacturing, advanced materials, and functional integration into propulsion system architectures.
• Drive rapid hardware development through prototyping, design iteration, testing, and model correlation.
• Evaluate component and system performance, identify design limitations, and implement improvements to meet performance, reliability, and durability requirements.
• Support engine testing, instrumentation, data analysis, and troubleshooting to validate designs and drive development forward.
• Manage engineering trade-offs across performance, weight, size, cost, manufacturability, and schedule while maintaining system-level requirements and safety objectives.
• Collaborate with manufacturing and DAPS technology teams to improve design for manufacturability and advance additive manufacturing processes and capabilities.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to other engineers while helping establish engineering best practices and development processes.

Basic Qualifications

• Ability to lawfully access information and technology that is subject to US export controls
• BS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent.
• 4+ years of experience in propulsion, gas turbine, turbomachinery or engine development.
• Strong technical understanding of turbojet engines, turbomachinery, and propulsion system architectures.
• Experience with the design, development, and integration of mechanical components and complex engineered systems.
• Solid understanding of multiphysics behaviors across turbomachinery, combustion devices, valves, instrumentation, and associated components.
• Strong foundation in thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, solid mechanics, and materials behavior.
• Experience supporting hardware development through design, analysis, build, integration, and test phases.
• Demonstrated experience with rapid prototyping, iterative hardware development, and design optimization.
• Experience collaborating with engineering, testing, and manufacturing teams to resolve technical challenges and meet system requirements.
• Ability to evaluate technical trade-offs involving performance, size, weight, cost, and manufacturability.
• Strong problem-solving skills, technical judgment, and ability to independently drive complex engineering projects in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent.
• Direct turbojet engine or turbomachinery development experience.
• Experience developing propulsion systems for aerospace, defense, or other high-performance applications.
• Experience with additive manufacturing, design for additive manufacturing (DfAM), and advanced materials.
• Familiarity with finite element analysis (FEA), computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and multiphysics simulation tools.
• Experience with engine testing, instrumentation, data acquisition, and performance characterization.
• Experience taking propulsion hardware from early-stage development through qualification or production.
• Experience working in a greenfield, first-of-its-kind product development environment with aggressive development timelines.

Work Environment

• Requires frequent standing, walking, and interaction across production and R&D work areas.
• May occasionally require extended or weekend hours to meet production deadlines.
• Work is performed in an office environment and requires the ability to operate standard office equipment and keyboards.

Compensation

At Divergent, our pay range is based on the level of the job. For this role, we will consider candidates at levels E04 - E06 as evaluated through our interview process.

• E04 / Engineer II: $122,430 - $168,340
• E05 / Senior Engineer: $141,380 - $194,390
• E06 / Staff Engineer: $163,270 - $224,500

Pay Range

$122,430 - $224,500 USD

What We Offer Our Regular, Full-Time Employees:

• Holistic Compensation Package: Enjoy a world-class compensation package that includes a competitive salary, equity plan, and discretionary results-based incentive bonus opportunities, ensuring you're truly valued for your contributions.
• Wellness and Time Off: Embrace a healthy lifestyle with paid vacation, sick time, and company holidays, including a year-end shutdown to recharge. We support growing families with paid parental leave, recognizing the importance of bonding time.
• Comprehensive Health and Wellness: Prioritize your well-being with our comprehensive health and wellness benefits, offering both HMO and Premium PPO options. Additionally, benefit from company-sponsored life insurance and short and long-term disability coverage for peace of mind.
• Investment in Growth: We're committed to your professional development. Take advantage of reimbursement opportunities for learning and development initiatives, empowering you to continuously expand your skill set and reach peak performance.
• Collaborative and High-Performing Environment: Join our collaborative, dynamic, and high-performing team within a fast-paced, mission-driven company. Together, we're disrupting the traditional manufacturing industry, fostering innovation, and integrating people and technology to reduce our footprint.

Equal Employment Opportunity Divergent is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any other applicable state or federal protected characteristic. Divergent provides affirmative action in employment for qualified Individuals with Disabilities and Protected Veterans in compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act. EEO Poster

In order to adjust to changes in our business, it may become necessary to add, remove or modify certain duties and responsibilities, or to reassign you to another job position. From time to time you may be asked to work on special projects or to assist with other work. Your cooperation and assistance in performing such additional work is expected.

E-Verify: Right to Work Our company participates in E-Verify. E-Verify is a program that electronically confirms a candidate’s eligibility to work in the United States after completing the Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9). The information provided on the Form I-9 is compared to the records contained in the Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) databases. This helps employers verify the identity and employment eligibility of newly hired employees. Eligibility to Work Poster (English) | Eligibility to Work Poster (Spanish)

Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance (FCIHO) Pursuant to the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance (FCIHO), we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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