Head, Propulsion

Toronto, ON
On-site
Posted May 8, 2026
1 position

Opens an external site

Employment type: Full-time
Experience level: Lead · 10+ years
Posting language: English
Working hours: 40 hours per week

Job summary

Lead the design, development, and operation of propulsion and vehicle fluid systems for a sovereign launch capability. Manage technical architecture, budgets, schedules, and multidisciplinary teams while interfacing with government agencies for certification.

Job details

About the role Canada Rocket Company is building a sovereign launch capability for Canada. We're looking for a Head of Propulsion Systems to build and lead the team responsible for the propulsion and fluid systems on the vehicle. This is both a leadership and technical role. As a demonstrated leader, strategic manager, technically proficient engineer you will guide the team through design, development, operation, and reuse of propulsion and stage fluid systems. What you'll do Steer the technical direction and architecture for propulsion and vehicle fluid systems. Drive development, qualification, production, flight, and reuse of propulsion and vehicle fluid systems. Manage propulsion and fluid systems’ schedule, budget, resources, risk, design reviews, as well as suppliers and subcontractors. Plan, coordinate, and oversee concurrent propulsion subsystem programs. Build, lead, and mentor an exceptional multidisciplinary team consisting of systems engineers, combustion devices engineers, turbomachinery engineers, components engineers, thermal analysts, fluid analysts, structural analysts, and more. Instill a culture of extreme ownership and efficient actions. Coordinating efforts spanning departments. Interfacing with customers, launch operators, or government agencies (e.g., FAA, NASA, DoD) on propulsion certification. Qualifications 10+ years of experience in design, analysis, development, qualification, and operation of liquid bipropellant rocket engines with appreciable durations both as an individual contributor and leader. Proven ability to build and lead engineering teams, including hiring, mentoring, and establishing processes from an early stage. Inclination toward a fast-paced, resource-constrained, environment with rapid hardware development using iterative design-build-test cycles that are central to the engineering culture. Experience with sizing, material selection, fabrication processes, and developing injectors, chambers, and or nozzles. Awareness of basic turbomachinery configurations, operations, and performance parameters. Analyze or trade propulsion elements using first order thermodynamic, fluid mechanics, and structural mechanics analyses. Proficiency designing, analyzing, and interpreting complex fluid systems as well as understanding the behaviour of the mechanisms in those systems. Experience sizing and using components such as solenoid / pneumatic / hydraulic valves, regulators, check valves, relief valves, filters, pressure transducers, thermocouples, flow meters, etc Experience sizing and using plumbing parts including tubing, piping, flanges, gaskets, o-rings, fittings, etc. Proficiency applying first principles to identify solutions not traditionally considered. Issue identification, diagnosis, and resolution including Failure Mode, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA), Fault Tree Analysis, and Fishbone analysis. Experience preparing for and participating in test and or flight campaigns. Hazardous operations (HAZOP) planning and safety culture leadership. Functional proficiency in Visio, CAD, and Python. Familiarity with CGP, EIPA, ITAR, etc regulations. Stakeholder reporting to senior leadership and customers. Proposal writing and business development exposure.

What you’ll do

Requirements

Requires 10+ years of experience with liquid bipropellant rocket engines and a proven track record of leading engineering teams. Must be proficient in first-principles analysis, fluid system design, and hazardous operations planning.