Head of Spacecraft Vehicle Engineering

Impulse Space; Redondo Beach (CA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 205,000; Full time

Job summary

Impulse Space, based in Redondo Beach, seeks a Manager for Vehicle Engineering to lead the Mira spacecraft program. You will own delivery, sustainment, and ongoing improvements while managing a small team of engineers across structures, mechanisms, and payload accommodations.

You will coordinate across propulsion, avionics, manufacturing, and integration to ensure on-time, repeatable Mira missions and drive the technical roadmap for future upgrades and scalability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science or related field.
• Past results developing, testing, and flying spacecraft or launch vehicles.
• Expert knowledge in spacecraft primary/secondary structures, mechanisms, or pressure systems.
• Strong communication skills across technical and interpersonal contexts.
• Experience managing and growing a small team.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of engineers on the Mira spacecraft program.
• Coordinate hardware integration across propulsion, avionics, manufacturing and integration.
• Act as technical expert on primary/secondary structures, deployable mechanisms, payloads.
• Scale Mira missions from 6 to 30+ per year with efficient execution.
• Interface with mission management, design teams, and customers.
• Mentor team to be hardware-focused, collaborative, and technically rigorous.
• Shape long-term Mira product roadmap and block upgrades.

Skills

Team leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Spacecraft development

System engineering

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or science

Master’s degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering

Job description

Impulse Space, based in Redondo Beach, seeks a Manager for Vehicle Engineering to lead the Mira spacecraft program. You will own delivery, sustainment, and ongoing improvements while managing a small team of engineers across structures, mechanisms, and payload accommodations.

You will coordinate across propulsion, avionics, manufacturing, and integration to ensure on-time, repeatable Mira missions and drive the technical roadmap for future upgrades and scalability.