Satellite Electrical Propulsion Systems Engineer for Fastwater Staffing
About this role
Tasks summary:
Architecture Concept & Requirements
- Translate mission‑level ΔV, thrust, lifetime, and reliability goals into EP system requirements (performance, power, mass, contamination, EMI).
- Produce System Requirements, Interface Control Documents (ICDs), and Description documents for thruster assemblies, Power‑Processing Units (PPU), propellant feed & storage, and control electronics.
- Perform requirement management and maintain bidirectional traceability throughout the project lifecycle.
Detailed Design
- Perform system‑level power, thermal, and mass budget analyses; produce trade‑off matrices (thrust vs. power vs. propellant mass, reliability vs. complexity).
- Lead detailed mechanical/electrical design of thruster mounting, heater/thermal control, and PPU (converter, regulator, fault‑protection).
- Define propellant handling hardware (tanks, valves, feed‑lines, interconnects) and develop contamination control procedures.
- Negotiate ICDs and interface agreements with external thruster vendors and component suppliers.
- Support or Develop 1‑D/3‑D plume models and perform reliability prediction.
Modeling & Simulation
Software & Control
- Define command and telemetry interfaces for EP & health‑monitoring telemetry.
- Work with FSW teams to develop thrust profile generation, and fault detection isolation recovery (FDIR) algorithms.
Cross‑Functional Coordination, Stakeholder & Program Interaction
- Communicate technical status, risk assessments and trade‑study results to senior management and/or customers or partners.
- Negotiate and manage ICDs with platform subsystems and supplier teams.
- Support B&P (Phase 0 & pre-phase A).
Integration & Verification (IVV)
- Develop verification plans, test matrices, and validation procedures for unit, subsystem, and spacecraft‑level EP tests.
- Oversee hardware‑in‑the‑loop (HIL) and thrust‑stand testing, including thrust‑calibration, specific impulse measurement, pulse‑modulation, and lifetime cycling.
Technical Leadership & Mentorship
- Mentor, guide junior engineers and interns.
- Act as technical liaison with customers, partners and external vendors
- Act as Continuous Improvement stakeholder
- Contribute to MDA’s knowledge‑base, process enhancements, and standards development.
Configuration, Documentation & Standards Management
- Author and maintain MDA EP standards (thruster qualification, PPU design, contamination limits).
- • Ensure all artefacts, analysis, software, deliverables and documentations are version controlled in PLM environment.
- Support design reviews (SRR, PDR, CDR, MRR/TRR…etc.).
- Support Technology Road‑Mapping & Innovation.
Launch-Site, On-Orbit & Operations Support
- Provide real‑time EP support during launch, early‑orbit checkout, and routine station‑keeping.
- Support on‑orbit checkout procedures, thruster test campaigns, and contingency recovery plans.
- Support SOOH development and associated operator training.
- B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace, or Physics with 8+ years of electrical propulsion engineering experience on LEO/MEO platforms.
- Strong knowledge of EP thruster families and their performance characteristics.
- Experience with propellant storage & feed‑system design (tanks, valves, micro‑valves).
- Strong understanding of aerospace system engineering fundamentals, space environment and orbit mechanics.
- Hands-on individual who can support systems integration processes and capability to test systems and resolve problems.
- Experience with Confluence and JIRA.
- Demonstrated capability to efficiently work with little to no supervision
- Ability to distill complex problems to fundamentals to solve with analysis, similarity, or creativity.
- Demonstrate excellent written and oral communication skills in English; knowledge of French will be considered an asset (Contact with clients outside Quebec and work on deliverables in English).
- Support the Spacecraft operations team in critical phases.
Required Qualifications:
• B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace, or Physics with 8+ years of electrical propulsion engineering experience on LEO/MEO platforms.
• Strong knowledge of EP thruster families and their performance characteristics.
• Experience with propellant storage & feed system design (tanks, valves, micro valves).
• Strong understanding of aerospace system engineering fundamentals, space environment and orbit mechanics.
• Hands-on individual who can support systems integration processes and capability to test systems and resolve problems.
• Experience with Confluence and JIRA.
• Demonstrated capability to efficiently work with little to no supervision
• Ability to distill complex problems to fundamentals to solve with analysis, similarity, or creativity.
• Demonstrate excellent written and oral communication skills in English; knowledge of French will be considered an asset (Contact with clients outside Quebec and work on deliverables in English).
• Support the Spacecraft operations team in critical phases.
Company at a glance
Hikinex is a company that provides scalable business support.
We specialize in supporting growing businesses. Our HIKINEX agents are sourced, trained, and promoted to seamlessly integrate into businesses of all sizes across a wide range of industries. We are passionate about our clients and strive to deliver an unparalleled experience.
As a result, our employees are highly trained, our services are fully scalable, and our monthly plans are commitment-free. We invest heavily in our clients, and our processes are designed to demonstrate our commitment to their success.
Your team at HIKINEX is committed to helping you succeed.
Tired of cold applications?
Sign up with Clera and we'll reach out the moment a role actually fits you — no more spraying applications into the void.
Know someone who'd be great for this?