Fluidic Systems Engineer (Leganés)

IENAI SPACE is an early-stage startup located in Madrid, developing an end-to-end ecosystem of in-space mobility products, including propulsion systems and engineering SaaS. We are a highly innovative company in the “New Space” sector; the team is made up of a dynamic and multidisciplinary group of engineers, PhDs and developers, looking to revolutionize space mobility for the adoption of propulsion products in the smallest of satellites. We recently kickstarted our commercial phase with our first product: 360™, a Mission and Space Mobility analysis SaaS. Our mission is to build tailored, end-to-end space mobility products and services for the next generation of small satellites empowering a sustainable new space economy. We believe this is possible because we rely on our values: Infinite Innovation, Extraterrestrial Excellence, Cosmic Collaboration, Astronomical Agility and Planetary Passion. How will you contribute to IENAI SPACE? As Fluid Systems Engineer you will own the development of the Propellant Management Unit (PMU) of ATHENA, the subsystem responsible for storing, conditioning and delivering ionic liquid propellant to the thruster. This is not a conventional propulsion role. The PMU operates at low pressures, delivers flow rates in the μL/s range and handles an ionic liquid propellant that is conductive, hygroscopic, and sensitive to dissolved or trapped gas. The design envelope is far closer to precision vacuum fluidics or analytical instrumentation than to the propellant management systems of hall thrusters or chemical propulsion. The current PMU design is functional and flight-heritage is accumulating, but the design requires continued engineering development toward production readiness. In parallel, you will lead the development of our in-vacuum filling setup, bringing a working prototype to a repeatable, documented process. Your key responsibilities will include:
- Continued mechanical and functional development of the ATHENA PMU, including reliability improvements and production-readiness work.
- Developing and qualifying the in-vacuum propellant filling setup, including outgassing protocols, contamination control and fill calibration procedures.
- Characterising PMU performance: flow delivery, pressure stability, gas management and fill accuracy.
- Writing and maintaining test procedures, assembly instructions and qualification documentation.
- Working closely with the thruster and power electronics teams during integrated testing and firing campaigns.
- Contributing to make-vs-buy decisions and supplier interactions for PMU components. What is your department like? You will be part of the Electric Propulsion department . You will work closely with colleagues responsible for thruster unit assembly and testing, and collaborate across the power electronics and systems teams during integrated campaigns. Your time will be split between the office and the cleanroom, with ownership of the full design-build-test cycle for the PMU and filling setup. What will make you succeed? We are looking for (must have):
- Background in vacuum systems engineering, precision fluidics, analytical instrumentation, or a closely related field, demonstrated either through industry experience or research.
- Hands-on experience handling sensitive or reactive liquids (hygroscopic, conductive, or corrosive media) in a laboratory or production context.
- Familiarity with vacuum hardware: pumping systems, pressure measurement at low ranges, outgassing characterisation, leak detection.
- Experience designing or assembling precision sealed systems (seals, fittings, polymer-to-metal interfaces).
- Rigorous experimental habits: clear documentation, awareness of contamination sources, systematic troubleshooting.
- Comfortable working in a small team where the scope of your role will evolve. We also value (nice to have):
- Proficiency in mechanical CAD (Fusion 360, SolidWorks, or equivalent).
- Direct experience with ionic liquids or electrochemical systems.
- Familiarity with space environmental requirements (thermal vacuum, ECSS or NASA outgassing standards).
- Experience with low-pressure pneumatic proof testing and pressure system compliance.
- Background in microfluidics, MEMS, or lab-on-chip systems. What do we offer?
- Postúlate en Kit Empleo: kitempleo.es/empleo/6sl4yp