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 Catalyst Development Engineer – Industrial PhD based in Barcelona, in collaboration with Politecnico di Milano (PoliMi).
About the role:
Join our Fluidics department to develop catalysts that meet the performance, lifetime, manufacturing and cost needs of our hydrogen peroxide-based propulsion systems. You will take 3D-printed ceramic catalyst technology from laboratory samples towards reliable hardware, working hands-on with materials, manufacturing processes and test data. Your work will help Pangea build its own catalyst production capability and make informed design decisions for its propulsion products.
The role is structured as an industrial PhD within the planned Executive PhD framework at PoliMi. Pangea will define the industrial priorities, with academic supervision and specialist support from PoliMi. The development plan will focus on usable engineering results: validated catalyst designs, repeatable manufacturing processes, demonstrated durability and know-how transferred into Pangea. Doctoral requirements will be integrated into this work, with confidentiality and intellectual property managed under the agreed framework.
You will be part of the Combustion Devices team, working closely with Systems, Mechanical, Manufacturing and Test colleagues and the PoliMi research group. We welcome recent graduates who enjoy building, testing and improving hardware and want to see their work used in real propulsion systems. Previous professional experience in propulsion is not required.
Location and programme: The current plan includes an initial period of approximately six months at PoliMi in Milan to develop manufacturing know-how, followed by execution mainly at Pangea in Barcelona, with further travel as required.
We are looking for someone available to start as soon as possible. Employment may begin ahead of formal PhD enrolment. Admission, enrolment timing and programme duration will be confirmed by Pangea and PoliMi through its approval process.
Key Responsibilities:
· Turn propulsion-system needs into measurable catalyst requirements and a practical development and validation plan, prioritised with the engineering team.
· Develop ceramic supports made by digital light processing (DLP) additive manufacturing, improving manufacturing repeatability, mechanical robustness and suitability for production.
· Select active-phase and support formulations using test evidence and trade-offs between performance, lifetime, material availability and cost.
· Improve catalyst-bed layouts and injector–bed interfaces to meet flow distribution, cold-start and decomposition requirements while controlling pressure losses and residual liquid volume.
· Plan and support laboratory and propulsion-hardware test campaigns with the responsible test teams, following approved safety procedures. Assess steady and pulsed operation, thermal response, repeatability, degradation and total hydrogen peroxide throughput.
· Analyse test data, identify failure and degradation mechanisms, and recommend design or process changes. Use numerical models where they support engineering decisions.
· Develop a scale-up approach from laboratory samples to approximately 200 N-class applications and assess larger systems against manufacturing, performance and durability constraints.
· Help establish catalyst manufacturing and characterisation capabilities at Pangea. Transfer know-how from PoliMi into documented process instructions, quality checks and design guidelines that colleagues can use.
· Deliver traceable test results, engineering recommendations and process documentation. Communicate progress, risks and next actions against agreed development milestones.
What you need to be successful:
· Education: A Master’s degree, or equivalent qualification eligible for PhD admission, in materials science, chemistry, chemical engineering, aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering or a closely related field. The qualifying degree must be completed before doctoral enrolment.
· Hands-on experience: Practical experience building, manufacturing or testing samples or hardware through a thesis, project, internship or employment. You should be able to troubleshoot problems, interpret results and turn findings into concrete improvements.
· Technical foundations: A sound grounding in materials and chemistry, or in thermodynamics, heat transfer and fluid mechanics, with a willingness to build skills across these disciplines.
· Data analysis: Ability to process and visualise experimental data using Python, MATLAB or an equivalent tool, and to assess data quality and uncertainty.
· Communication: Fluent written and spoken English, with the ability to produce clear technical documentation and explain results, trade-offs and recommended actions to engineering colleagues and university partners.
· Commitment and mobility: Motivation to deliver practical engineering results through an industry-based PhD and availability to work mainly on site in Barcelona, including the planned initial period in Milan.
Soft Skills:
· Practical problem-solving: use evidence to challenge assumptions, find root causes and choose solutions that balance performance, reliability, cost and development time.
· Hands-on ownership: organise your work, keep traceable records, raise problems early and deliver usable results against agreed milestones.
· Teamwork and clear communication: work effectively across engineering, manufacturing, test and university teams, with an open approach to feedback and a strong commitment to safety.
Other useful skills:
· Experience with heterogeneous catalysis, hydrogen peroxide decomposition or catalyst preparation and characterisation.
· Knowledge of ceramic additive manufacturing, DLP printing, slurry formulation, sintering or porous structures.
· Familiarity with materials characterisation methods such as microscopy, diffraction, porosity measurement or mechanical testing.
· Experience with experimental instrumentation, data acquisition, design of experiments or statistical analysis.
· Exposure to propulsion hardware, reacting-flow or porous-media modelling, CFD, CAD, or laboratory process transfer.
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 Propulsion, 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 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!