Senior Jet Engine Design Engineer – Interceptor Drones

The role

This person will lead the development of small-scale jet propulsion systems from concept to flight-ready hardware. They will design and develop new small jet engines optimized for low production cost.

What you will do

• Design and develop new small jet engines in-house
• Own the aerodynamic design of turbine components
• Design a large portion of the turbine for metal 3D printing
• Work closely with 3D printing operations to define geometries and qualify parts
• Drive a rapid, fail-fast iteration process
• Integrate propulsion systems into airframes
• Apply and enforce design rules for operation in extreme environments
• Contribute to engine testing, performance validation, and continuous design improvement

Required qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of experience in jet engine / gas turbine design
• Proven track record of having designed and delivered engine models
• Strong hands-on experience with small jet engines in the 12–25 kg thrust class
• Solid global understanding of jet engine architecture
• Experience designing turbine/engine components for metal additive manufacturing (DfAM)
• Practical knowledge of metal 3D printing processes and constraints
• Comfortable working in a rapid-iteration, fail-fast development culture
• Knowledge of design requirements for extreme operating environments
• Ability to work autonomously in a small, fast-paced startup team

Nice to have

• Experience integrating propulsion systems into airframes (flying wing or similar unconventional platforms)
• Experience with UAV/drone propulsion specifically
• Familiarity with low-cost manufacturing strategies for defense/dual-use hardware
• Prior startup or skunkworks experience

About the company

Alta Ares is an air defense Neoprime that builds AI-guided interceptors to counter drones and cruise missiles. Founded in 2024, the company has 90 people and has raised over $60M.