Lead opto-mechanical manufacturing across the company, including recruiting and mentoring engineers and technicians, designing production lines and alignment tooling, optimizing metrology and manufacturing processes, and establishing cleanroom and acceptance-testing capabilities. Collaborate with optical and mechanical design teams on manufacturability, DFM/DFA, and design reviews. Drive improvements in production rate, quality, reliability, and space-qualified hardware testing.
As the Manager, Opto-Mechanical Manufacturing at Impulse, you will provide leadership and mentorship to a team of opto-mechanical manufacturing engineers. You will own opto-mechanical manufacturing across the company for all our products. Your leadership will directly impact the performance and reliability of all vehicles we send into orbit.
Responsibilities
- Recruit and lead a team of opto-mechanical manufacturing engineers and technicians, including providing mentorship and developing the team
- Provide guidance to a team of engineers designing manufacturing lines for star trackers, cameras and sun sensors
- Develop and optimize metrology processes for opto-mechanical assemblies in production
- Design tooling for alignment of lens assemblies and drive assembly and ATP of opto-mechanical assemblies
- Collaborate with optical design engineers to ensure manufacturability, DFM/DFA of optical assemblies, including custom spherical and aspherical lenses/mirrors
- Streamline manufacturing processes while improving rate, quality and reliability
- Stand up a new cleanroom for the production of opto-mechanical devices
- Build up acceptance testing (ATP) capability of opto-mechanical hardware, including functional and environmental testing
- Lead the effort in collaborating with design engineers to ensure manufacturability and provide input in PDR and CDR reviews
- Stay up-to-date with industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices to drive innovation
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelors' degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or related field
- 6+ years of demonstrated opto-mechanical manufacturing experience (or related field), preferably in a high-reliability environment
- 6+ years of optical metrology equipment experience, such as centration measurements, interferometry and wavefront sensors
- 3+ years of experience in a people management role
- Strong track record of and commitment to developing and mentoring people
- Deep understanding of manufacturing processes and materials used in opto-mechanical manufacturing
- Familiar with mechanical design and GD&T using NX and Teamcenter
Preferred Skills and Experience
- MS/PhD in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or related field
- 6+ years of demonstrated manufacturing experience in opto-mechanical manufacturing for space applications
- 6+ years of experience in a people management role
- Experience with scaling up a team in a startup environment
- Knowledge of thermal cycling, vibration and TVAC for space applications
- Experience with adhesives, glasses, ceramics and metals used for space applications
- Knowledge of theodolites, autocollimators, laser trackers and basic planar optical alignment
- Knowledge of setting testing light sources, including solar simulators, laser diodes and black body sources
- Knowledge of finite and infinite conjugate lens set-ups
- Knowledge of both refractive and reflective methods of collimation
Additional Information:
Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.
Impulse Space’s spacecraft manufacturing business is subject to U.S. export regulations including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR). This position requires applicants to be either U.S. Persons (i.e., U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent U.S. resident (green card holder), an individual granted asylum in the U.S., or an individual admitted in U.S. refugee status) or persons eligible to obtain an export license from the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, or other applicable U.S. government agencies. Learn more about the ITAR here.
Impulse Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Impulse Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
About
Impulse Space, the in-space transportation company founded by Tom Mueller, is opening access beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with its fleet of in-space transportation vehicles. The high-energy Helios vehicle unlocks orbits beyond LEO with its powerful Deneb engine, dropping off payloads in MEO, GEO, heliocentric, lunar, and other planetary orbits. The flight-proven Mira vehicle uses a nontoxic, high-impulse chemical propulsion system to offer orbital transport, constellation deployment, and precision reentry services to customers throughout LEO. Led by a team that delivered the most reliable rockets in history, Impulse provides economical and efficient in-space transportation by reliably and rapidly getting customers where they want to go.
Impulse Space El Segundo, California, USA Office
El Segundo, CA, United States, 90245
Similar Jobs
Fintech • Financial Services
Manage and grow a defined book of affluent consumer and business customers through proactive outreach, discovery-driven advice, and multi-product financial solutions. Coordinate with Wealth, Home Lending, and Business Banking to convert opportunities, drive deposits/lending/investments growth, and ensure compliant documentation and strong customer service. Support branch operations and champion digital adoption.
Fintech • Financial Services
Build and manage relationships with affluent consumer and business customers through proactive outreach, discovery-based financial conversations, and tailored banking strategies. Grow a book of business across deposits, lending, investments, and business banking; coordinate referrals with internal partners; promote digital banking adoption; support branch colleagues; and maintain strong documentation, regulatory compliance, and risk controls. The role requires customer service, relationship management, product recommendation experience, and FINRA, SAFE, and insurance licensing.
2 Hours Ago
Fintech • Financial Services
Leads complex commercial loan servicing for asset-based and syndicated loans, including escalations, remediation, risk reduction, system conversions, and process improvements. Serves as a senior subject matter expert, advises leaders, coordinates across business, risk, technology, product, and operations teams, and drives sustainable issue resolution. Coaches senior specialists and leaders on complex servicing matters.
Top Skills:
Asset-Based LendingCommercial Loan Servicing SystemsSyndicated Loan ServicingSystem ConversionsUser Testing
What you need to know about the Los Angeles Tech Scene
Los Angeles is a global leader in entertainment, so it’s no surprise that many of the biggest players in streaming, digital media and game development call the city home. But the city boasts plenty of non-entertainment innovation as well, with tech companies spanning verticals like AI, fintech, e-commerce and biotech. With major universities like Caltech, UCLA, USC and the nearby UC Irvine, the city has a steady supply of top-flight tech and engineering talent — not counting the graduates flocking to Los Angeles from across the world to enjoy its beaches, culture and year-round temperate climate.
Key Facts About Los Angeles Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 375,800; 5.5% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Snap, Netflix, SpaceX, Disney, Google
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, adtech, media, software, game development
- Funding Landscape: $11.6 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Strong Ventures, Fifth Wall, Upfront Ventures, Mucker Capital, Kittyhawk Ventures
- Research Centers and Universities: California Institute of Technology, UCLA, University of Southern California, UC Irvine, Pepperdine, California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Quantum Science and Engineering
