Senior Turbopump Product Owner

About Pangea Propulsion:

We are a company dedicated to developing advanced propulsion systems for the space industry based on three key principles: high efficiency, sustainability, and reusability. We are revolutionizing the space industry with ground-breaking innovations that allow us to offer the best performance to cost propulsion systems.

Our goal is to be the propulsion provider for the next generation of spacecraft, which is essential to meet demands and compete in the booming space market of the next decade.

We are a passionate, multicultural, and multidisciplinary team pushing the boundaries of what is possible in space propulsion technology.

We have already made history by successfully testing the world's first 3D-printed Methalox Aerospike engine, marking a significant milestone for the space industry.

We are looking for talented professionals to join our international teams in Barcelona and Toulouse. We want to be a key player in improving diversity in the Aerospace sector as, in Pangea, we believe that diversity (gender, age, race, sexual orientation, beliefs, disability, culture, etc.) is a key to success. Within Pangea, everyone can grow with the same opportunities. We encourage you to apply. Individually we are different, but together we are an amazing team!

We are looking for a Senior Turbopump Product Owner in Barcelona or Toulouse.

About the role:

You will lead Pangea’s turbopump product line as Senior Turbopump Product Owner, with responsibility across technical development, product roadmap, and technical coordination of the Turbopump Product Owners team.

In this role, you will be accountable for the development of turbopumps for the ARCOS aerospike engine and the KRONOS full‑flow staged combustion engine, ensuring alignment between system requirements, design solutions, testing activities, and long‑term product strategy.

You will act as the technical and organizational reference for turbopumps within Pangea, working closely with Systems, Fluidics, testing, Manufacturing, Mechanical Design and Program management. Beyond your own product ownership responsibilities, you will lead and mentor other Turbopump Product Owners, ensuring consistency, best practices, and effective execution across turbopump-related projects.

This position combines deep technical leadership with people leadership and cross‑functional coordination, contributing directly to the development of Europe’s next generation of high‑performance rocket engines.

This role is ideal for a senior turbomachinery engineer who wants to design, decide, and guide the technical direction of turbopumps within an advanced propulsion company.

Key Responsibilities:

• Hands‑on Turbopump Design & Development
• Lead and personally contribute to the architecture, detailed design, and sizing of turbopumps for liquid rocket engines.
• Perform and review analytical, numerical, and trade‑off studies (performance, efficiency, margins, operability, structural integrity).
• Drive critical technical decisions related to turbopump design, interfaces, and operating philosophy.
• Ensure that turbopump designs meet performance, reliability, safety, and operability requirements at engine level.
• Technical Leadership & Design Guidance
• Act as technical leader and reference for turbopump development at Pangea.
• Guide and mentor other Turbopump Product Owners through design reviews, technical discussions, and design trade‑offs.
• Ensure consistency of design criteria, methodologies, documentation, and standards across turbopump projects.
• Promote sound engineering judgment, robustness, and simplicity in design solutions.
• System Integration & Cross‑functional Work
• Work closely with Systems Engineering to translate engine‑level requirements into turbopump‑level design solutions.
• Coordinate technically Systems, Fluidics, testing, Manufacturing, Mechanical Designand Program management
• Ensure proper definition of interfaces and integration at subsystem and engine level.
• Support system‑level trade‑offs impacting turbopump design.
• Testing, Validation & Iteration
• Define and support turbopump test campaigns, including objectives, configurations, and success criteria.
• Analyze test results and feed learnings back into the design, closing the development loop.
• Support anomaly investigations and design iterations based on test feedback.
• Technical Quality & Knowledge Building
• Ensure high‑quality technical documentation, traceability, and design rationale.
• Apply and promote best practices in turbomachinery and liquid propulsion design.
• Stay technically up to date with state‑of‑the‑art turbopump technologies and relevant industry developments

What you need to be successful:

Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field

Minimum of 10 years of experience in turbopump or rocket engine development

In-depth knowledge of turbopump design, analysis, and optimization for rocket engines

Strong understanding of liquid rocket engine systems and their subsystems, including aerospike and full-flow staged combustion technologies

Proficiency in using advanced simulation tools (e.g., CFD, FEA) for analyzing fluid dynamics and structural integrity

Familiarity with industry standards and regulatory requirements for space propulsion systems.

Experience with high-thrust engine development projects

Ability to analyze complex problems and develop innovative solutions

Flexibility to adapt to changing project requirements and priorities

Proven ability to manage projects, including timelines, resources, and budget

Other useful skills:

Master’s or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field

Previous involvement in European space propulsion projects

Knowledge of advanced materials and manufacturing techniques for turbopumps

Experience with cryogenic propellants and their handling

Excellent communication skills

Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and adapt to evolving project requirements

Fluent in English; proficiency in Spanish and French is a plus

Meticulous attention to detail to ensure the accuracy and reliability of designs and analyses

Capability to provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior engineers

Not hitting every requirement? Research suggests that some people tend to hesitate when it comes to job applications if they don't meet all the desired qualifications. Here at Pangea Aerospace, we're committed to fostering a workplace that values diversity, inclusivity, and authenticity. So, if you're enthusiastic about this role but your prior experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification mentioned in the job description, we still strongly encourage you to apply. You might just be the ideal candidate for this position or other opportunities within our organization.

Pangea Propulsion is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We consider all applications without discrimination on any legally protected grounds. We welcome applications from persons with disabilities (RQTH) and we can provide reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process and in the workplace.

More about us…

We are an international and very multicultural team. Our work is guided by these core values:

Teamwork: We strive to work together as an aligned team towards our common goals.

Respect & tolerance: we value people with integrity that treat other people with respect. We enjoy having diverse views to enrich the debate and take better decisions.

Passion for growth: we are passionate about space and about being pioneers; also, we value personal and organizational growth aiming to a constant improvement.

Sustainability: because a long-term vision and strategy is not possible if sustainability is not in the team’s core values.

Daring: we do things that sometimes seem impossible, but we always go the extra mile to find a path to do them and we are ready to take the necessary risks to achieve our goals.

If this sounds good to you and you want to join the New Space revolution, we really want to meet you!