Poseidon Aerospace

Propulsion Engineer

San Francisco Bay Area

Sponsorship not specifiedDetected 27 days ago

LogisticsCollaboration

About the role

If you have an interest in aviation, working hands-on in a test environment, motorsports or high performance engine tuning experience, and have strong instincts running an engine test cell, we are looking for you to join Poseidon.
Calibrate the engine across the full aviation operating envelope: fueling, ignition, idle stability, transient response, knock, and closed-loop strategy on a standalone ECU, with the propeller governor tuned to performance and reliability targets.
Run the engine test program on an instrumented test stand: break-in, bring-up, performance mapping, and endurance/qualification runs that prove each engine flight-ready.

Translate & Present findings: Distill, document, and present data to validate requirements, limits, and drive design changes. Work closely with other teams to refine and improve propulsion systems.
Refine & Develop the break-in, operating, inspection, and maintenance procedures: Document and collect the procedures that carry the propulsion systems through test stand runs, ground runs, and flight tests.
Applied tuning of standalone/aftermarket ECUs: Fuel and ignition mapping, idle and transient control, drive-by-wire, knock, and sensor/DTC strategy.
Engine test-stand or dyno experience: Experience building or running an instrumented cell, including thrust/torque measurement, cooling and oil-system instrumentation, and DAQ.
We build and operate full-size autonomous cargo aircraft; Heron, a seaplane, and Egret, a STOL aircraft; each capable of carrying two tons of payload over a thousand nautical miles.

Hands-on experience tuning, calibrating, and bringing up EFI piston engine systems: Aviation, motorsport, engine-swap, or standalone-ECU backgrounds are strongly relevant.
Practical knowledge of aviation and automotive fuels (AvGas, MoGas) and their effect on calibration.
Specify and collect required data to drive propulsion system improvements and validation in a safe and traceable manner.
Operate test instrumentation and DAQ: Specify and collect required data to drive propulsion system improvements and validation in a safe and traceable manner.
Comfortable working at the bench and on the aircraft, with strong, self-directed troubleshooting instincts.
Strong collaboration skills to communicate verification findings and design feedback clearly across disciplines.
Competitive salary and meaningful early-stage equity
Relocation support if applicable
Low-ego, collaborative workplace culture
6% retirement matching
Unlimited PTO
Free lunches, snacks, and a stocked fridge at our offices

Experience qualifying or validating engines on a test cell, dyno, or test stand, and ideally through ground and flight testing.

Strong conceptual and hands-on knowledge of 4-stroke piston engines
Working knowledge of aircraft propeller and constant-speed governor systems.
Sharp diagnostic, setup, and troubleshooting skills.
Familiarity with controlled assembly and maintenance standards: FOD prevention, tool management, and shop safety.
AI tools and subscriptions

At Poseidon Aerospace, we value diverse perspectives and are always looking for talented individuals with unconventional backgrounds.

This listing is sourced directly from Poseidon Aerospace's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.