Skip to content

Open nowPosted 130 days ago

Chief Engineer - Airbreathing Propulsion Test

Hermeus86 open roles

Pay
$138,550 – $247,250 a year
Where
Jacksonville, FL
Work mode
On site
Get the CV for this job

From $25 per CV, paid once. No subscription.

Your applicationOpen nowChief Engineer - Airbreathing Propulsion TestHermeus · Jacksonville, FL
  1. YouYes, apply to this one.

  2. CV RocketCV written for this posting.

  3. 25 readersRecruiter, hiring manager, skeptic. Round after round.

  4. CV RocketApplied on Hermeus's own form.

The reply lands in your private mailbox

3×more interviews than doing it yourself with ChatGPT.

The clock on this job

Early applications get read.

7.7% of postings close within 7 days. Measured by our own scanner across the market.

Share of postings closed within
  1. 1.4%1 day
  2. 3.5%3 days
  3. 7.7%7 days
  4. 13.4%14 days
  5. 34.5%30 days
This job: posted 130 days ago

The posting

Hermeus is a venture-backed defense aviation company reclaiming the lost art of rapid iterative prototyping to build the fastest aircraft in the world today. By prioritizing relentless hardware iteration, we deliver high-speed systems at the pace of the modern battlefield. We work with the Department of War to provide the high-speed capabilities our nation and its allies need to maintain a durable, asymmetric advantage.

About The Role:

We are seeking a 1st principles driven, experienced, and owner mindset Chief Engineer to lead the design, construction, and activation of an expansion at our next-generation airbreathing propulsion test facility, HEAT, located in Jacksonville, FL. This facility expansion will play a critical role in advancing hypersonic and other advanced propulsion technologies vital to Hermeus’ roadmap, national security, and aerospace innovation. As the Chief Engineer, you will serve as the technical authority and strategic lead responsible for the end-to-end development of the test facility—from concept and requirements definition through commissioning and operational readiness. This role will require close collaboration with internal teams, external contractors, and DoD stakeholders to ensure that the facility meets current and future propulsion testing needs.

Responsibilities

  • Lead Facility Design and Architecture
  • Oversee the conceptual and detailed design of the test facility, including the air plant, test cells, airflow systems, instrumentation, data acquisition, safety systems, and support infrastructure.
  • Guide requirements definition and translate test objectives into engineering specifications for propulsion systems.
  • Program and Technical Leadership
  • Serve as the principal engineering authority, ensuring technical rigor, mission alignment, and engineering excellence throughout all phases of the project.
  • Manage and direct cross-functional engineering teams (civil, mechanical, electrical, aerospace, systems) and coordinate with external contractors and company stakeholders.
  • Support development of acquisition strategies, source selection, and contractor oversight.
  • Stakeholder Engagement and Oversight
  • Liaise with government customers, test customers, and internal leadership to communicate progress, mitigate risks, and ensure alignment on priorities and capabilities.
  • Provide authoritative input into decision-making, budgeting, milestone reviews, and operational transition planning.
  • Risk and Quality Management
  • Identify and mitigate technical risks related to performance, safety, schedule, and integration with test assets or vehicle systems.
  • Implement quality assurance processes across engineering and construction phases.
  • Innovation and Futureproofing
  • Anticipate future propulsion test and design for scalability and modular upgrades.
  • Evaluate emerging technologies that could enhance facility capabilities or streamline operations.

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace Engineering, or a related field (master’s or PhD preferred).
  • 10+ years of experience in the design, development, or operation of propulsion test facilities, aerospace infrastructure, or similar test facility/infrastructure.

Preferred Skills and Experience

  • Demonstrated experience leading large-scale engineering projects involving complex systems integration and build.
  • Deep understanding of airbreathing propulsion systems (e.g., turbojet, ramjet, scramjet, TBCC) and associated testing environments.
  • Strong owner mindset with ability to independently execute and drive to outcomes.
  • Familiarity with relevant safety standards, environmental standards, construction requirements, and DoD or NASA aerospace test procedures.
  • Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a US Security Clearance (TS preferred).

The salary range listed for this role is intended as a general guideline. Final compensation will be determined based on a variety of factors, including role scope and responsibilities, relevant experience, education and training, key skills, market data, and business needs.

At Hermeus, compensation is only one part of our total rewards package. We offer competitive pay, equity, and a range of benefits designed to support our team.

Benefits:

  • Health & Wellness: 100% employer-paid healthcare and pet insurance
  • Financial: Competitive pay, stock options, 401(k) retirement plan, and potential year-end bonuses
  • Time Off: Paid parental leave, 12 federal holidays, unlimited PTO for exempt employees, and generous accrued PTO for non-exempt employees
  • Office Perks: Weekly paid office lunches and fully stocked breakrooms

U.S. EXPORT CONTROL COMPLIANCE STATUS

The person hired will have access to information and items subject to U.S. export controls, and therefore, must either be a “U.S. person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.62 or otherwise eligible for deemed export licensing. US persons include U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and asylees and refugees with such status granted, not pending.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Hermeus is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions at Hermeus are based solely on merit, competence, and qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.

#LI-JC3

From $25, paid onceGet the CV for this job

What happens when you press

One press. We do the rest.

  1. A CV for this posting

    Written against Hermeus's own wording, from every piece of relevant proof in your profile.

  2. 25 readers review it

    Recruiter, hiring manager, skeptic and more read every draft, round after round. You get the best round.

    The review screen in CV Rocket: how each CV was read, round by round.
  3. We apply on Hermeus's form

    Our application engine gets through the hardest forms there are. Where a question needs you, AI suggests the best answer. Don't want us applying from our IP addresses? Use our Chrome extension: we apply straight from your own browser.

    An application in CV Rocket: every answer filled in on the employer's form.
  4. Every reply, sorted

    Hermeus's answer lands in your private mailbox, and we classify it on arrival: interview, question, rejection.

    The CV Rocket inbox: each employer reply classified as an interview, an action or a rejection.
  5. Reply with AI

    AI helps you write the email, checks it and sends it. We show you whether the recruiter read it.

  6. The interview in your calendar

    Full integration with your calendar. The invitation goes straight in.

    An interview invitation in the CV Rocket inbox, added to the candidate's calendar.
Get the CV for this job

From $25 per CV, paid once. No subscription.

Why it works

3×

more interviews than doing it yourself with ChatGPT.

ChatGPT writes a CV and never learns what happened to it. We see every reply. For each CV we know:

  • How it was written, and how the review scored it
  • When we applied, and how long after the posting went up
  • Which posting, which company, which city
  • Who got the interview, and who heard nothing

That is how we know which CVs get called.

Get the CV for this job

From $25 per CV, paid once. No subscription.

The numbers game

More applications. More interviews.

Every application goes out with its own CV, written for that posting and paid once. Send enough of them and the law of large numbers finds you the job.

By hand5–10
With CV Rocket100
applications a day

Nearby

Live postings like this one

Same employer first, then the same role elsewhere.

Before you press

Straight answers

Get the CV for this job

From $25 per CV, paid once. No subscription.

What if my background isn't good enough?

We make the most of the background you have. The CV uses every piece of relevant proof your profile holds, and one of the 25 readers reads your whole profile and flags what the CV left out.

Do you really apply for me?

Yes, on the employer's own form, the hardest ones included. Where a question needs you, you answer it right there and AI suggests the best answer. Don't want us applying from our IP addresses? Use our Chrome extension: we apply straight from your own browser.

Is it a subscription?

No. You pay once per CV, from $25. Every application goes out with its own CV, written for that posting.

One job. One CV.
Paid once.

Pick the posting you want. We write for it, apply for you and catch the reply.

Get the CV for this job

From $25 per CV, paid once. No subscription.