Senior CMC Manufacturing Engineer - Flight-Ready SiC Parts

Impulse Space; Redondo Beach (CA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 215,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Medical, vision & dental

401(k) retirement plan

Job summary

Impulse Space is seeking a Staff/Principal Manufacturing Engineer for CMC applications in Redondo Beach, CA. You will own end-to-end manufacturing, from material selection to flight-ready hardware, collaborating across propulsion, structures and quality teams.

You will develop densification/joining processes, qualify materials, and drive producibility while mentoring floor staff. This role emphasizes RCA, process control, and capital planning for rate production.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, materials science, chemistry, physics, or a related technical field.
• 5+ years of experience developing or producing high-temperature materials or advanced composites, ceramic matrix composites, carbon-carbon, refractory metals, ablatives, or comparable systems; or a Master's degree with 3+ years; or a PhD in a relevant field with 1+ years of hands‑on experience.
• Demonstrated experience in aerospace, defense, hypersonics, gas turbine, nuclear, energy, or industrial ceramics.

Responsibilities

• Own and mature the end-to-end manufacturing process for C/SiC and related ceramic composite hardware in ultra-high-temperature applications, from preform architecture through densification, machining, and coating.
• Develop and qualify densification and joining processes (CVI, PIP, brazing), including furnace cycle definition, tooling, fixturing, and run-to-run repeatability.
• Analyze candidate fiber, matrix, and coating systems and build the supply chain strategy: qualify vendors, dual-source critical materials, and de-risk long-lead precursors.
• Define the inspection, acceptance, and validation approach for manufactured parts, NDI methods (CT, ultrasonic, thermography), coupon tests, allowable development, and first-article inspection.
• Author and own process specifications, travelers, and work instructions; drive configuration control and change management.
• Design tooling, mandrels, and shop aids for CMC part fabrication and assembly.
• Partner with propulsion, structures, and thermal teams on DFM feedback so producibility is built into design rather than discovered on the shop floor.
• Lead root‑cause investigations on process escapes and drive corrective actions using RCA and structured problem‑solving.
• Scale from prototype to rate production: capital equipment selection, facility layout, cycle time, yield, and cost per part.
• Work directly with technicians and machinists on the floor to produce flight hardware.
• Own the technical roadmap for CMC manufacturing capability, sequencing process development, capital investment, and qualification milestones against vehicle program needs.
• Mentor engineers and technicians, and influence the technical standard for high-temperature materials manufacturing across the organization.

Skills

CMC manufacturing

Aerospace experience

High-temperature materials

Lean manufacturing

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Master's degree in a relevant field

PhD in a relevant field

Tools

CVI

PIP

CVD

Vacuum furnaces

Job description

Impulse Space is seeking a Staff/Principal Manufacturing Engineer for CMC applications in Redondo Beach, CA. You will own end-to-end manufacturing, from material selection to flight-ready hardware, collaborating across propulsion, structures and quality teams.

You will develop densification/joining processes, qualify materials, and drive producibility while mentoring floor staff. This role emphasizes RCA, process control, and capital planning for rate production.