Quality Engineer (Kick Stage)Department: Manufacturing
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Redondo Beach
Compensation: $110,000 - $150,000 / year
DescriptionAs a
Quality Engineer (Kick Stage) at Impulse, you will own the connection between design intent, manufacturing execution, and flight performance for the Helios Kick Stage and supporting hardware. You will work hands-on with technicians, manufacturing engineers, and design teams to prevent defects before they occur, rapidly diagnose failures, and continuously improve hardware reliability across spacecraft builds.
Responsibilities- Support Helios Kick Stage, Composites, Propulsion, and Welding sub-teams at Impulse
- Partner with design, manufacturing, and integration teams to ensure hardware is built reliably and repeatably from prototype through production
- Support early development test and build campaigns to characterize hardware performance, material properties, and design decisions
- Identify, investigate, and eliminate build defects through structured root cause analysis and corrective actions
- Evaluate cross-discipline kick stage vehicle requirements (propulsion, structures, avionics, etc.) to ensure component and system-level requirements align
- Develop inspection, acceptance, and quality control processes aligned with hardware reliability requirements
- Support hardware integration, test, and environmental campaigns by diagnosing anomalies and driving resolution to closure
- Provide design-for-reliability and manufacturability feedback during design reviews and build planning
- Develop and implement MRP/ERP improvements for improved hardware handling, trace, data collection, and overall reliability
- Develop and implement build quality metrics to heighten awareness and to improve quality landscape over time
- Audit production floor processes against process requirements
- Identify requirement gaps and write specifications to fill those gaps
- Implement projects to improve manufacturing reliability
- Own training and certification of elevated sign-off privileges for processes
- Interface with supply chain to improve vendor hardware quality
Minimum Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field
- 3+ years of experience in hardware manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, or high-reliability systems
- Demonstrated experience supporting production builds, integration, or test of primary structures and/or complex mechanical or electromechanical systems
- Strong problem-solving skills with demonstrated root cause analysis experience
Preferred Skills and Experience- 4+ years of demonstrated build reliability experience with spacecraft, launch vehicles, aviation, robotics, or defense hardware
- Familiarity with AS9100, ISO 9001, or similar quality systems (practical application preferred over documentation focus)
- Demonstrated experience with reliability engineering concepts (FMEA, reliability growth, Weibull analysis)
- Demonstrated background working closely with technicians and production teams
- Demonstrated experience supporting rapid development or prototype-to-production transitions
- Technical familiarity with integrated rocket tanks, composites, propulsion, and/or welding
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.
