Radiation Effects Engineer

Impulse Space; Redondo Beach (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Impulse Space is seeking a Radiation Effects Engineer to contribute to the selection, design, testing, and delivery of flight hardware for space missions from LEO to Mars. You will collaborate with cross-disciplinary engineers to maximize reliability and manage radiation risks.

The role involves leading TID/SEE characterization, conducting radiation tests, maintaining data repositories, and developing design standards for radiation-hardened electronics used on orbit.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, physics, or related technical field.
• 2+ years of experience in the radiation effects field.
• Strong component selection experience for digital, analog, power, and RF systems.
• Experience supporting radiation testing campaigns for proton and/or heavy ion.
• Experience analyzing radiation test data to establish effects at circuit-, board-, and vehicle-level.
• Experience integrating industrial and/or automotive-grade parts in radiation environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead total ionizing dose (TID) and single event effects (SEE) component characterization and qualification efforts through testing and test data analysis
• Support radiation testing at off-site locations by developing test procedures and optimizing for test time
• Maintain databases of radiation test data across components and interface with supply chain and design engineers to utilize and procure component
• Create design standards for electrical engineers to maximize radiation reliability on-orbit
• Review circuit board designs and BOMs to ensure compliance with design standards
• Interface with program managers and engineering leadership to ensure radiation-related risks are accurately represented
• Perform or contribute to ray-tracing shielding analysis of avionics enclosures
• Occasional domestic travel to support radiation test campaigns

Skills

Radiation effects experience

Component selection for digital/analog

Radiation testing campaigns

Radiation data analysis

Industrial/auto-grade parts in rad env

SEE risk calculations

Scripting to control test hardware

Avionics hardware knowledge

Altium

Semiconductor processes

Orbital dynamics/space experience

Statistical analysis

EMI/EMC/radiation effects knowledge

Radiation simulation tools (OMERE/FAST

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, physics, or related technical field

Tools

Altium

OMERE

FASTRAD

Job description

Department:

Avionics

Location:

Redondo Beach

Compensation:

$120,000 - $150,000 / year

Description

As a Radiation Effects Engineer, your core responsibility will be to contribute to the component selection, design, testing, and delivery of flight hardware systems for space missions from low Earth orbit to mars. You’ll work closely with electrical engineers, RF engineers, EMC engineers, mechanical engineers, and test engineers to maximize reliability, perform analysis and testing, and ensure reliable hardware performance across Impulse’s spacecraft.

Responsibilities

• Lead total ionizing dose (TID) and single event effects (SEE) component characterization and qualification efforts through testing and test data analysis
• Support radiation testing at off-site locations by developing test procedures and optimizing for test time
• Maintain databases of radiation test data across components and interface with supply chain and design engineers to utilize and procure component
• Create design standards for electrical engineers to maximize radiation reliability on-orbit
• Review circuit board designs and BOMs to ensure compliance with design standards
• Interface with program managers and engineering leadership to ensure radiation-related risks are accurately represented
• Perform or contribute to ray-tracing shielding analysis of avionics enclosures
• Occasional domestic travel to support radiation test campaigns

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, physics, or related technical field
• 2+ years experience in the radiation effects field
• Strong component selection experience for digital, analog, power, and RF systems
• Experience supporting radiation testing campaigns for proton and/or heavy ion
• Experience analyzing radiation test data to establish effects at the circuit-, board-, and vehicle-level
• Experience integrating industrial and/or automotive-grade parts in radiation environments

Preferred Skills And Experience

• 2+ years experience with single event effects (SEE) risk calculations
• Ability to write scripts to control test hardware
• Proficiency with avionics hardware spanning flight computers, radios, and motor controllers
• Familiarity with Altium
• Understanding of semiconductor manufacturing processes
• Orbital dynamics, space experience
• Strong statistical analysis skills
• Experience in electromagnetic effects, surface charging analysis, or characterizing system desense and coexistence
• Familiarity with industry standards such as EEE-INST-002, NASA 8739.11, NASA-HDBK-4002, NASA-STD-4005, or similar
• Experience with orbital and radiation simulation tools such as OMERE, FASTRAD, or similar