Senior Jet Engine Design Engineer - Interceptor Drones

About the role

Alta Ares builds AI-guided interceptors against drones and cruise missiles, for NATO-aligned militaries and defence institutions. It is looking for a Senior Jet Engine Design Engineer to lead the development of small-scale jet propulsion systems (12-25 kg thrust class) from concept to flight-ready hardware. This is a hands-on, high-ownership role in a fast-moving startup where speed and iteration matter more than lengthy upfront studies.

Key responsibilities

• Design and develop new small jet engines in-house, optimised for very low production cost
• Own the aerodynamic design of turbine components, balancing performance, manufacturability and cost
• Design a large part of the turbine for metal 3D printing, using design-for-additive-manufacturing principles to reduce part count, weight and cost
• Work with 3D printing operations on printable geometries, tolerances, post-processing and qualification of parts for flight use
• Drive a rapid, fail-fast iteration process: build, test, learn and redesign quickly
• Integrate propulsion systems into airframes such as flying wings and other interceptor drone configurations, with aerostructures and systems teams
• Enforce design rules for extreme environments (cold and hot climates, rain, humidity, icing) to ensure engine reliability
• Contribute to bench and flight testing, performance validation and continuous design improvement

Required profile

• Minimum 8 years of experience in jet engine / gas turbine design, with a track record of delivering complete engine models
• Solid hands-on experience with small jet engines in the 12-25 kg thrust class
• Comfortable in a rapid-iteration, fail-fast culture rather than a traditional long-cycle aerospace process
• Ability to work autonomously in a small, fast-paced startup team
• Nice to have: UAV/drone propulsion experience, low-cost manufacturing knowledge for defence hardware, prior startup or skunkworks experience

Required skills

• Global understanding of jet engine architecture: compressor, combustor, turbine, fuel system, controls
• Design of turbine/engine components for metal additive manufacturing (DfAM)
• Integration of propulsion into airframes (flying wing or similar is a strong plus)
• Knowledge of design requirements for extreme operating environments