Turbomachinery Test Engineer
Propulsion - Villeneuve, CH
The position
- Crew
- Propulsion
- Location
- Villeneuve, CH
- Type of contract
- Full-time
Your role
PAVE Space is building LYOBA, a heavy kick stage moving up to 4-tonne payloads from LEO to high-energy orbits in under 24 hours.
We're entering test campaigns on the core turbopump components: pumps, turbine, seals, full assembly. You'll plan, run, and interpret those campaigns on timelines measured in weeks, feeding results straight back into design decisions that shape the next hardware iteration.
You will own
Test plans and procedures for turbopump component and assembly campaigns
Test bench design, upgrades, and readiness ahead of each campaign
Hands-on execution of test campaigns: from setup through data acquisition
Data processing, analysis, and the conclusions that come from it
Design feedback loop: turning test results into clear, actionable input for the rest of the team
What we are looking for
3+ years testing rotating machinery: you've run real campaigns, not just observed them
Solid aero/hydrodynamic knowledge of rotating machinery design
Proficient in coding for data processing and analysis
You create, read, and interpret P&IDs without hesitation
Experienced drafting test plans and procedures, and making clear go/no-go calls with supporting rationale
Strong collaborator in resource-constrained environments: you communicate clearly across teams
Nice to have: high-speed or turbomachinery-specific test experience, mechanical design knowledge, PED and safety regulation expertise, and 3D CAD skills.
You will fit if
You treat test data as design input, not a report to file.
You're as comfortable on the test stand as you are writing the procedure that runs it.
You'd rather give a hard no-go with solid rationale than a soft yes with none.
Working across two teams, turbomachinery and test, feels natural to you.
This role is fully on-site, split between our office in Villeneuve (VD) and our test area in Chavalon, 20 minutes away. You'll sit within the turbomachinery team but work hand-in-hand with the test team daily. The role lives at that interface. Things are early: some benches need building, some procedures don't exist yet, and not every campaign will go as planned the first time.
What makes that worth it: every test you run directly shapes the turbopump that will fly. You'll see your data change hardware in days, working alongside engineers who care as much about the result as you do.
Apply to contribute, or send this to the test engineer you know who'd thrive here.