Supports spacecraft development from initial design through production ramp-up. Responsibilities include requirements analysis, system-level studies, risk mitigation, engineering process development, customer documentation, and system-level test planning and execution. The role collaborates with subsystem, integration, test, and program teams to resolve technical issues and improve spacecraft reliability, efficiency, and production scalability.
As a Spacecraft Development Engineer at Impulse, you will work on diverse projects to support our programs from development phase through production ramp-up. You will work closely with subsystems engineers, integration and test personnel, and program management to deliver on customer commitments and produce world class space vehicles.
Responsibilities
- Collaborate across disciplines to creatively shape requirements and verification approaches
- Support customer deliverables and generate program documentation
- Perform various system level analyses in support of mission design, system optimization, and proposal efforts
- Develop systems engineering processes that improve reliability, efficiency, and performance
- Formulate risk mitigation strategies and drive their implementation
- Scale up engineering processes to support a high spacecraft production rate
- Support system-level test preparation, planning, and execution
- Resolve technical issues with innovative and resourceful solutions
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering or science
- Hands-on experience working with mechanical, fluids, or electrical systems
- Demonstrated experience with requirements analysis and flow-down
- Demonstrated leadership and communication skills
- Demonstrated ability of taking project ownership and working well in a small team
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Active TS/SCI clearance
- Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering or other relevant engineering or science discipline
- Direct experience with spacecraft programs and missions, with exposure to a full life cycle from concept to in-orbit operations
- Prior experience in development and/or testing
- Familiarity with analysis programming such as MATLAB, Excel, etc.
- Experience with CAD to design hardware
- Experience in a startup or agile development environment
Additional Requirements:
- Flexible schedule and willing to travel as needed
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.
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. 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
Machine Learning • Payments • Security • Software • Financial Services
Leads complex, multi-workstream product initiatives as a principal Product Owner. Owns product vision, strategy, backlog integrity, prioritization, and Scrum team alignment. Coordinates Product, Engineering, Design, Delivery, and other stakeholders; improves execution discipline, transparency, and outcome tracking. Stabilizes programs with fragmented ownership or elevated delivery risk while ensuring customer and business requirements are addressed. Requires substantial Product Owner or Senior Product Manager experience, preferably in payments or financial services.
Top Skills:
Agile DevelopmentData VisualizationScrumUx Design
Aerospace • Information Technology • Software • Cybersecurity • Design • Defense • Manufacturing
Designs, integrates, tests, debugs, and leads development of embedded flight software for satellite and payload systems. Responsibilities include software-hardware integration, requirements analysis, cyber vulnerability analysis, cyber monitoring algorithms, configuration automation, documentation, quality assurance, and delivery coordination. The role interfaces with multidisciplinary engineering teams and supports safety, security, and performance objectives for commercial and government space programs.
Top Skills:
BitbucketCC++ConfluenceCyber Monitoring AlgorithmsDevOpsEmbedded SystemsGitlabJavaJIRAPythonReal-Time SoftwareWireshark
Aerospace • Information Technology • Software • Cybersecurity • Design • Defense • Manufacturing
Leads electrophysics and radar engineering for air and space payloads across the product lifecycle. Responsibilities include radar performance and trade studies, signal and image processing, RWR integration, mission design, payload effectiveness analysis, technical leadership of teams and subcontractors, anomaly resolution, and capability roadmap development. The role requires advanced radar or signal-intelligence expertise, systems integration experience, and active Top Secret/SCI clearance.
Top Skills:
Image ProcessingMatlabRadar SystemsRadar Warning Receivers (Rwr)Rf SystemsRfi MitigationSignal ProcessingStkSynthetic Aperture Radar (Sar)
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
