Meet the Crew: The People Behind the Hardware
Beyond the Job Description: How One Engineer Found His Place at Agile Space Industries
For Test Engineer Erich Ward, joining Agile Space Industries meant more than a new career opportunity. It was a chance to combine his engineering experience with a lifelong passion for hands-on problem-solving — and return to a place he'd wanted to call home for more than a decade.
When Erich joined Agile, he knew his strong background in propulsion systems and hardware test engineering set him up to be a successful test engineer at Agile. What he didn't anticipate was how often he'd draw on skills developed outside his professional career.
In his first few months, in addition to testing, Erich has tackled everything from welding to electrical harnessing, tube fabrication, and troubleshooting. During his time at Agile, he discovered that years spent working on bicycles, building robotics projects, and tinkering with cars have been just as valuable as his formal engineering background.
"I'm finding myself using skills from all these areas every single day, which is one of the things I least expected, but enjoy the most," he said.
A Passion for Building, a Career in Propulsion
Long before Erich began working in aerospace, he was drawn to understanding how things work.
Rewinding a bit to where things began. In middle and high school, he participated in robotics and electronics extracurriculars. In 2008, he won a state Science Olympiad competition after building an ultralight, rubber-band-powered airplane that remained airborne for more than three minutes.
That early interest in building and experimenting extended beyond the classroom. Before completing college, he spent 10 years working as a bicycle technician. Outside of work, he continues to enjoy working on cars and racing karts.
After spending 10 years in the bicycle industry, Erich earned his degree in aerospace engineering. This experience and education blazed a clear path that eventually led him into aerospace, where he worked as a mechanical test engineer and propulsion systems integration engineer. Those roles gave him experience in the development, qualification, and acceptance testing of components used in spacecraft propulsion systems.
When he discovered Agile on LinkedIn, he was intrigued by the company's ability to bring propulsion design, manufacturing, and testing together.
"I was immediately impressed by the amount of internal production and vertical integration.”
Agile offered a natural next step for Erich: a chance to leverage his technical background across different disciplines while contributing directly to the development and testing of spacecraft propulsion technology. There was another compelling reason to explore the opportunity. Agile is located in Durango, Colorado.
A Return to Durango
For Erich, accepting a position at Agile also meant returning to a place he'd wanted to call home for more than a decade.
In 2013, he attended Fort Lewis College, the local school in Durango, for a semester before a family illness required him to leave partway through the school year. Although his time in Durango was brief, the experience made a lasting impression.
"I felt like I never got to finish that chapter of my life."
Years later, discovering Agile allowed him to fulfill this dream of coming back to this incredible place in the mountains.
He relocated from Denver to join the company's test engineering team, bringing together two things he'd been seeking: challenging engineering work and the chance to make Durango home.
He's wasted little time embracing the community. Outside of work, Erich enjoys camping, hiking, fly fishing, and exploring off-road trails with his dog. He's also become involved in Durango's disc golf community, taking advantage of the area's variety of courses.
"It's hard to believe months have already passed since I moved here; it feels like it was yesterday," he said.
Taking Ownership, From Start to Finish
While Durango was part of what attracted Erich to Agile, the work itself has reinforced his decision. One of the biggest differences he's noticed is the level of ownership test engineers have over their projects. At larger aerospace organizations, engineering responsibilities are often distributed across specialized teams, with different individuals responsible for design, fabrication, installation, and testing.
At Agile, Erich has experienced a more hands-on approach that allows engineers to contribute throughout the process.
"We're given a task such as installing a new capability on the test stand, and it's our job to design, produce, install, wire, commission, and use the capability, almost single-handedly," he explained.
That level of responsibility requires versatility, technical judgment, and a willingness to solve unexpected problems. It also allows engineers to see how their work contributes to the larger mission, from initial concept through delivery.
For Erich, the opportunity to take a project from start to finish has been one of the most rewarding aspects of his role.
"Being responsible for the end-to-end product and carrying that ownership has been great."
Helping Build What's Next
Having previously worked for larger aerospace primes, Erich appreciates the opportunity to contribute in new ways at Agile. He describes a working environment that combines practical problem-solving with deep technical expertise and a shared determination to find solutions.
As Agile continues to grow, that environment creates opportunities for engineers to do more than execute established processes. They can help improve existing capabilities, introduce new approaches, and influence how the company tackles future challenges.
"Being in the midst of rapid growth and having an influence on how the future looks is an exciting place to be," he said.
For engineers considering a career at Agile, Erich sees an environment where initiative is encouraged, technical expertise is valued, and employees have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact.
“Agile’s future is bright, and I'm excited to be part of it."
Interested in building what’s next?
At Agile, engineers work hands-on to design, build, and test propulsion technologies that enable spacecraft to move, maneuver, and operate in space. Explore career opportunities at Agile and see where you could make an impact.
