Own end-to-end development of flight camera systems and optical payloads—defining requirements, driving architecture trades, coordinating cross-functional integration, leading subsystem test and calibration, and maturing hardware for flight under aggressive schedules.
As a Senior Electro-Optical Engineer at Impulse, you will own the development of flight camera systems and optical payloads from early architecture through test and flight. This role is for someone who wants to do more than contribute analysis in a narrow lane, you will be responsible for the technical execution of a spacecraft electro-optical product and will help define how it is built, tested, and
integrated.
You will work across optics, camera hardware, embedded software, opto-mechanics, avionics, test, and spacecraft integration to deliver high-performance flight systems on aggressive timelines. This is a high-autonomy role with significant room for growth. The right person will be comfortable acting as the technical owner of the product, driving decisions, coordinating cross-functional execution, and closing hardware quickly.
Responsibilities
- Own the technical development of flight camera systems and optical payloads from concept through flight.
- Define requirements, drive architecture trades, and make key decisions across optics, detector selection, embedded camera interfaces, opto-mechanics, thermal design, and calibration strategy.
- Partner closely with embedded software, avionics, mechanical, thermal, manufacturing, and test teams to bring up, validate, and mature hardware.
- Lead subsystem integration, test planning, issue resolution, and performance closure for electro-optical flight hardware.
- Drive execution with a high degree of autonomy, including risk retirement, prioritization, vendor coordination, and communication of technical status to leadership.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
- 6+ years of experience developing complex hardware systems in at least one relevant domain: camera systems, embedded imaging systems, electro-optical payloads, opto-mechanics, or optical systems.
- Demonstrated experience owning a subsystem, product, or major technical workstream through development and test.
- Strong cross-functional engineering judgment and the ability to translate mission needs into practical hardware decisions.
- Hands-on experience debugging and maturing real hardware in a lab, integration, or production environment.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Experience developing flight cameras, imaging payloads, optical navigation systems, electro-optical spacecraft hardware, or other precision imaging systems.
- Strong core competency in one or more of the following: camera embedded software, electro-optical hardware, opto-mechanics, or optical system design.
- Experience with CMOS image sensors, camera electronics, detector bring-up, image pipelines, or embedded camera software.
- Experience with optical design and analysis tools such as Zemax OpticStudio, Code V, or similar.
- Experience with calibration, image quality characterization, and environmental test of precision imaging systems.
- Space hardware experience, including qualification, acceptance, launch survivability, and spacecraft integration, is strongly preferred.
- Prior experience operating as a responsible engineer, technical lead, principal investigator, or product-facing engineering owner is a plus.
Why this role at Impulse
This is an opportunity to take real ownership of hardware that flies. You will have the autonomy to shape architecture, drive execution, and influence product direction while working on spacecraft payloads in a fast-moving environment.
As the team grows, this role offers meaningful opportunities to expand in scope and technical leadership.
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.
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
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