Valves Development Engineer [Orbital Vehicle]

Valves Development Engineer [Orbital Vehicle]

The Exploration Company

Bordeaux, France

We are seeking a talented Valve Development Engineer to help us in our mission by leading the development of valves for our Nyx. You will be responsible for the technical compliance of the valves (bang bang valve, latching valves, solenoid valves) we will develop.

You will report to the Propulsion Units Development & Procurement Principal.

Key responsibilities:

• Define and maintain the best technical baseline for the valves, in strong collaboration with the system, avionics, vehicle design and AIT teams: requirements specification (including verification method), product architecture, interfaces (fluidic, mechanical, thermal, electrical and data) and performances;
• Actively support the engineering teams (system, VDT, avionics, propulsion) during the Nyx Earth capsule design and development, with a strong focus on valve interfaces;
• Create the CAD for the component, create and review engineering drawings, and perform analysis on the component. You are responsible for the component from idealization until the flight delivery of the product;
• Structural analysis of each component, referring to the MMPDS and NASA/ESA standards, to define the appropriate safety margins for the component;
• Fluidic analysis to evaluate the flow characteristics of the component, along with performing experimental testing to validate your model;
• Magnetic analysis to define the anticipated mechanical force margin of the component. Verification and anchoring of the magnetic model through testing of the valve. The testing will then be used to validate the required margins given by NASA/ESA requirements;
• Tolerance analysis to ensure that the assembly, given a worst-case tolerance stack, still complies with the requirements flown down from the specifications provided by NASA/ESA;
• Support the AIT team during preparation for integration, integration and testing of the valves on the propulsion development and qualification models and on the flight propulsion system, including review and validation of assembly and test procedures, review and validation of test results, and timely resolution of any non-conformances;
• Support preparation of flight operations and procedures, participate in rehearsal and flight operations, review and analyse flight data and treat any abnormal fluid component behavior.

What we would love to see from you:

• Minimum of a bachelor's degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering (advanced degree preferred);
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in the development of valves for aerospace liquid propulsion units;
• Strong understanding of valves (solenoid valves, latching valves, torque motor valves...), including design, manufacturing and testing;
• Excellent collaboration skills for working effectively across departments to achieve seamless system integration;
• Fluency in English.