Propulsion Engineer Turbomachinery Lead

Rockelox is building Genesis, a fully reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle designed to launch Europe, from Europe. For Genesis' upper stage, we're developing a 50tf methalox rocket engine. We're going to build it, test it, break it, fix it, probably break it again, and eventually put it under a rocket. We're looking for a Turbomachinery Lead to own the engine's turbomachinery from design through hardware and testing. The Role This is one of Rockelox's first engineering roles. The team will be deliberately small, which means you won't be handed one tiny subsystem and asked to work on it in isolation. You'll work directly with the founder and have serious technical responsibility from day one. Your primary ownership will cover:

• Pumps: centrifugal turbopumps and pump housings
• Turbines: high-speed axial gas turbines
• Rotordynamics: shafts, bearings, seals and rotor dynamics
• Flow paths: volutes, manifolds, tubing and associated hardware
• Test infrastructure: turbomachinery test hardware, tooling and fixtures But turbomachinery is your area of depth, not the boundary of your responsibility. You'll work across the engine alongside the rest of the team, including everything from chamber & nozzle design to injectors, regenerative cooling, systems integration and other core propulsion problems. We need someone who can think about the whole engine, not just their own CAD model. What we're looking for Show us what you've built. The strongest signal isn't necessarily a prestigious university or company on your CV. It's evidence that you've taken difficult engineering problems from concept to hardware, dealt with things going wrong, and iterated until they worked. That could be:
• A rocket engine
• A turbine or turbomachinery project
• An aircraft
• A race car
• A robotics system
• A machine you've designed and built yourself
• Something completely different We're interested in what you built, what you personally contributed, what failed, and what you learned from it. Academic achievement and relevant industry experience are both valuable. But hands-on engineering, ownership, and demonstrated ability matter more than pedigree alone. If you've got something you're proud of, show us. Where this goes This is a founding engineering role for someone who wants to grow with Rockelox over the long term. The immediate mission is simple: design, build and test critical turbomachinery hardware. As Rockelox grows, you'll have the opportunity to build and eventually lead the team responsible for turbomachinery development. Starting: Q1 2027 Location: UK (exact location TBC; relocation required. Occasional travel to events, test facilities and partner locations) Compensation: Competitive salary + meaningful equity If you've spent your free time building unreasonable things, we'd like to hear from you. How to apply Skip the cover letter. Email careers@rockelox.com with the subject line Turbomachinery Lead — [YOUR NAME] Include your CV and exactly 3 bullet points: The problem: The hardest technical problem you've personally solved. Your contribution: What you specifically did and how you approached it. The outcome: The measurable result or impact. We'd rather see evidence of what you can do than read another two-page cover letter. More opportunities at Rockelox: We're hiring for multiple early engineering roles. Explore all opportunities at rockelox.com