The Role
Lead design, installation, operation, and maintenance of cryogenic and industrial gas systems for spacecraft manufacturing and testing. Own system specifications, P&IDs, procedures, commissioning, troubleshooting, vendor management, and cross-functional coordination while ensuring compliance with safety codes and standards.
Summary Generated by Built In
As a Senior Ground Systems Engineers at Impulse Space, you will own the design, installation, operation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the industrial gas and cryogenic fluid infrastructure that enables spacecraft manufacturing, testing, and launch operations across our Redondo Beach campus. This role combines first-principles engineering with hands-on execution to develop safe, reliable, and scalable ground support systems.
Responsibilities
- Serve as the responsible engineer and primary technical owner for industrial gas and cryogenic fluid systems across the Redondo Beach campus
- Design, install, commission, operate, and maintain cryogenic tank farms, gas distribution systems, pressure control systems, and associated instrumentation
- Apply first-principles engineering, including thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and controls, to develop new ground support systems and improve existing infrastructure
- Partner with Test, Manufacturing, Avionics, Facilities, and Environmental Health & Safety teams to support production and test operations
- Develop system specifications, P&IDs, operating procedures, preventive maintenance plans, and engineering documentation
- Troubleshoot system issues involving cryogenic fluids, high-pressure gases, valves, instrumentation, controls, and process equipment
- Manage technical relationships with industrial gas suppliers, equipment vendors, and contractors
- Lead system commissioning, upgrades, and expansion projects while ensuring compliance with applicable safety and engineering standards
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline
- Experience designing, operating, or maintaining industrial gas or cryogenic fluid systems
- Strong understanding of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and process engineering fundamentals
Preferred Skills and Experience
- 5+ years of hands-on experience with cryogenic fluid systems in an industrial or aerospace environment
- Experience with liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen, helium, methane, hydrogen, or other cryogenic fluids
- Experience designing fluid systems from first principles, including pipe sizing, pressure drop analysis, heat leak calculations, and equipment selection
- Experience with high-pressure systems, pressure vessels, vacuum-jacketed piping, and hazardous gas systems
- Familiarity with P&IDs, instrumentation, PLCs, and process controls
- Experience with CAD (Siemens NX preferred) for equipment layouts and system design
- Experience commissioning and operating mission-critical utility or ground support systems
- Working knowledge of applicable codes and standards (ASME, NFPA, CGA, OSHA)
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.
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, 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.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Chemical, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline
- Experience designing, operating, or maintaining industrial gas or cryogenic fluid systems
- Strong understanding of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and process engineering fundamentals
- Must be a U.S. Person or eligible to obtain an export license under ITAR/EAR
- 5+ years hands-on experience with cryogenic fluid systems in industrial or aerospace environments
- Experience with liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen, helium, methane, hydrogen, or other cryogenic fluids
- Experience with pipe sizing, pressure drop analysis, heat leak calculations, and equipment selection
- Experience with high-pressure systems, pressure vessels, vacuum-jacketed piping, and hazardous gas systems
- Familiarity with P&IDs, instrumentation, PLCs, and process controls
- Experience with CAD (Siemens NX preferred) for equipment layouts and system design
- Working knowledge of applicable codes and standards (ASME, NFPA, CGA, OSHA)
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The Company
What We Do
Impulse enables low-cost and nimble last-mile space payload delivery - access any orbit, reach other worlds.
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