39.0000° N, 98.0000° W

Impulse Space

Senior Space Operations Engineer

Redondo Beach$140,000 - $180,000 / yearPosted Aug 27, 2026
Disciplineengineering
Workplace typeon-site
EmploymentFull Time

As a Space Operations Engineer at Impulse, you will work on all aspects of spacecraft operations and play a pivotal role in the success of Impulse’s missions. You will help to architect the plans, procedures, and toolsets necessary to carry out our spacecraft operations, and be a part of the control room team responsible for executing exciting missions that span a broad range from near-earth payload deliveries to Mars surface landers.

Responsibilities

* Develop and implement methods of operational automation, to reduce day-to-day operator responsibilities

* Develop all aspects of the operational lifecycle, including proposal/mission modeling, spacecraft integration and system-level test, shipment, launch, and on-orbit operations

* Define ground and mission operations requirements, and flow mission requirements back to the spacecraft design

* Develop mission concept of operation and design reference missions

* Develop and execute operational procedures and mission-level engineering work for spacecraft operation

* Interact with subsystem teams including GNC, flight software, avionics, propulsion, and others to bring the team together around operational needs.

* Develop mission operations input to spacecraft fault and autonomy, including fault detection and response, autonomous spacecraft behavior, and on-board command and control

* Support creation and execution of spacecraft simulator tests to validate mission/fault/autonomy design

* Create and execute in-factory flight vehicle tests to validate mission design compatibility with flight hardware

* Support design and operation of the ground segment, including command and control, mission planning, mission data processing, and the associated infrastructure to support all activities

* Resolve technical issues with innovative and resourceful solutions

Minimum Qualifications

* Bachelor’s degree in engineering or science

* 5+ years' experience working in testing or operational environments

* 5+ years' experience with basic software scripting

* Demonstrated ability of taking project ownership and working well in small teams

Preferred Skills and Experience

* Master’s degree in engineering or science

* 5+ years' experience with Python, C++ or similar programming language

* 3+ years' experience with writing operations documentation

* Previous experience conducting on-orbit operations

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.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. 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.

Compensation (from employer):

$140,000 - $180,000 / year

Skills and experience

engineeringtestingsoftware scripting