Chief Engineer (Spacecraft)
Impulse Space
USD 210k-250k / year + Equity
Posted on Apr 30, 2026
As a the Chief Engineer of Spacecraft at Impulse, you will be responsible for owning the technical roadmap and overall mission success of a high performance space vehicle product line. This role requires an in-depth familiarity with all subsystems and strong sense of ownership through all phases of the lifecycle.
- Department
- Assembly, Integration & Test
- Employment Type
- Full Time
- Location
- Redondo Beach
- Workplace type
- Onsite
- Compensation
- $210,000 - $250,000 / year
Responsibilities
- Own the baseline system architecture and drive cross-group technical trade studies
- Be intimately familiar with the entire spacecraft lifecycle, from requirements definition through mission operations
- Work closely with subject matter experts across all domains to manage the program technical roadmap
- Ensure a high level of engineering and process rigor
- Proactively identify risks and develop mitigation strategies to ensure high reliability across all systems
- Balance schedule, performance, reliability, risk, and cost to achieve the best overall outcome for the program
- Define and drive the flight readiness process for the program
- Frequently represent Impulse with customers and external parties as the technical authority
- Take ownership of anomaly investigations and drive continuous improvement into design, build, test, and operations
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Aerospace, or related field
- 10+ years of relevant experience in the spacecraft domain
- 5+ years' of demonstrated experience in aerospace, defense, or complex technical system management
- Proven track record of managing hardware programs through their lifecycle
- Strong organizational, leadership, and communication skills
- US Citizen and eligible for DoD TS/SCI or TS/SAP U.S. government security clearance
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Direct experience leading a space vehicle program or major elements
- 12+ years' of demonstrated experience in aerospace, defense, or complex technical system management
- Hands-on familiarity with systems engineering practices, spacecraft testing, integration processes, and mission operations
- Active TS/SCI security clearance
- Intimate knowledge of U.S. Department of Defense standards and requirements
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
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.
Our Hiring Process
Stage 1:
Application Received
Stage 2:
Resume Review
Stage 3:
Intro Phone Interview
Stage 4:
Technical Phone Interview(s)
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