Manufacturing Engineer

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. 

Ursa Major is developing cutting‑edge propulsion systems and is seeking an innovative and hands‑on a Senior Manufacturing Engineer. The Engineer in this role will assume technical and operational ownership of manufacturing processes for solid rocket motors, with a primary focus on Ammonium Perchlorate (AP) milling and related powder-handling operations. This role will lead the design, development, qualification, and continuous improvement of AP milling processes that feed directly into propellant manufacturing.

The ideal candidate brings deep experience with energetic materials or strong experience with fine powder processing in a safety‑critical or regulated environment and is eager to apply that expertise to solid rocket propulsion. This is a hands-on position with significant responsibility for day‑to‑day plant operations, process capability, and long‑term process development.

Key Responsibilities

Process Ownership & Development

• Serve as the Process Owner for AP milling and associated powder-handling operations

• Lead  hands-on troubleshooting alongside technicians and engineers on the production floor to resolve complex manufacturing issues, stabilize, and improve processes.

• Develop, maintain, and enforce process documentation, including:

• Manufacturing Process Specifications (MPS)

• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

• Work Instructions

• Define and maintain Critical Process Parameters for AP milling (e.g., particle size distribution, moisture content, bulk density, contamination levels, flowability).

• Own process change control:

• Initiate, justify, and implement process changes via formal ECN mechanisms.

• Perform risk assessments (FMEA, HAZOP) for proposed changes.

• Plan and manage validation and requalification activities following changes.

• Lead  continuous improvement initiatives using Lean, Six Sigma to support: