Senior Electric Propulsion Engineer, Cathodes at Apex Technology, Inc.

Department: Engineering

Compensation

$165,000 – $220,000/yr

Location: Los Angeles, California
Type: Full-time
Level: senior
Posted: Sep 22, 2026

Description

Apex is hiring a Senior Electric Propulsion Engineer to own the design, development, qualification, and production of hollow and heaterless cathode technology for its electric propulsion systems. The role covers emitter and structural material selection, cathode physics and thermal-mechanical design, performance and life modeling, vacuum-test and life-qualification campaigns, cathode-thruster integration, degradation analysis, manufacturing processes, and flight-support activities. It is a senior individual-contributor position requiring substantial cathode expertise, a relevant bachelor's or master's degree, and 6+ years of electric propulsion experience, with a U.S. Person status requirement.

Required Skills

Cathode physics
Plasma discharge
Thruster coupling
Plasma diagnostics
Life characterization
Design for manufacturing
Failure analysis

Additional Information

Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, plasma/propulsion engineering, applied physics, or a related field
Required Previous Experiences: 6+ years of relevant electric propulsion experience with a Bachelor's or Master's degree
3+ years of relevant industry experience with a Ph.D. in electric propulsion, plasma physics, applied physics, or a closely related field
Substantial and demonstrable focus on cathode design, development, and testing
Experience planning and executing cathode or electric propulsion test campaigns in vacuum facilities
Experience owning hardware through design, development, build, and test
Preferred Qualifications: Direct experience taking a cathode or EP thruster from development through flight qualification and on-orbit operation
Experience with heaterless cathode ignition and conditioning schemes
Experience with alternative EP propellants and their effects on cathode life and operation
Familiarity with PPU/cathode drive electronics and power interface definition
Design-for-manufacturing experience bringing propulsion hardware into serial or high-rate production
Experience with EP environmental qualification, including vibration, TVAC, and EMI testing
Experience supporting failure investigations and resolving issues on flight or qualification hardware
Translation Company Name: Apex Technology, Inc.