Chief Engineer, Hypersonic Missile and Interceptor

The posting, as Ursa Major wrote it

The future of aerospace and defense starts here.

Ursa Major was founded to revolutionize how America and its allies access and apply high-performance propulsion, from hypersonics to solid rocket motors, satellite maneuvering and launch. We design and deliver propulsion and defense systems that solve the most urgent and critical national security demands.

Role Overview

Ursa Major is seeking a Chief Engineer, Hypersonic Missile & Interceptor to serve as the technical authority and architectural owner for the Draper Engine Hypersonic program. This individual will be accountable for the end-to-end vehicle technical baseline, ensuring the successful integration of propulsion, structures, avionics, GNC, thermal, and mission systems into a flight-worthy, scalable vehicle solution.

As Chief Engineer, you will provide technical leadership across the full lifecycle—from requirements definition and trade studies through design, integration, test, and flight operations—while partnering closely with Program Management, Manufacturing, Mission Assurance, and Business Development. This role is critical to delivering reliable, high-performance systems to government and commercial customers on aggressive schedules.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Authority & Architecture

• Own and maintain the vehicle system architecture, technical baseline, and configuration for the Draper Engine Vehicle.
• Serve as the final technical decision authority for vehicle-level design trades, requirements allocation, and risk acceptance.
• Ensure propulsion (Draper engine) is fully integrated into the vehicle system with appropriate margins, interfaces, and operational envelopes.

Systems Engineering & Integration

• Lead vehicle-level systems engineering, including requirements flow-down, interface control, verification & validation (V&V), and configuration management.
• Oversee cross-disciplinary integration across:
• Propulsion
• Structures & airframe
• GNC
• Avionics & software
• Thermal & TPS
• Mission & flight systems
• Chair technical reviews including SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR, and FRR.

Program Execution Support

• Partner with Program Management to balance performance, cost, schedule, and risk.
• Support proposal efforts, customer technical interchange meetings (TIMs), and design reviews with government and commercial customers.
• Identify technical risks early and lead mitigation plans through test, analysis, or design iteration.

Test, Qualification & Flight Readiness

• Define and approve vehicle-level test strategies including ground testing, qualification, and flight test.
• Ensure data-driven decisions using analysis, modeling, and test results.
• Provide technical sign-off for vehicle readiness and flight authorization.

Team Leadership & Mentorship

• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to subsystem leads and senior engineers.
• Foster a culture of engineering rigor, accountability, and rapid execution.
• Help scale engineering processes an

[…]
ience with SMC-S-016 Test Requirements

• Background working with DoD, DARPA, or classified programs.
• Familiarity with model-based systems engineering (MBSE) tools.
• Experience scaling a vehicle program from prototype to production.
• Active or ability to obtain a U.S. security clearance.

Colorado law requires us to tell you the base compensation range of this role, which is $185,000 - $250,000, determined by your education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities. What we can’t quantify for you are the exciting challenges, supportive team, and amazing culture we enjoy.

Classification: Full-time Exempt

Benefits Include: (Please note, Interns are not eligible for benefits)

• Unlimited PTO - Vacation, Sick, Personal, and Bereavement
• Paid Parental and Adoptive Leave
• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Tax Advantage Accounts (HSA/FSA)
• Employer Paid Short and Long Term Disability, Basic Life, AD&D
• Additional Benefit Options Including Voluntary Life and Emergency Medical Transport
• EAP Program
• Retirement Savings Plan - 401k with Company Match

How To Apply

Interested candidates are encouraged to apply by filling out the application below and clicking "Submit Application". This position will be posted for a minimum of 3 days and will remain open until filled or adjusted based on the volume of applicants.

NOTE: Research suggests that women and BIPOC individuals may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who believes they have the skills and the drive necessary to succeed here to apply for this role.

Must be a U.S. Person (this includes U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents).

Eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance.

We’re an equal-opportunity employer. You will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

No outside recruiters, please.