Principal Autonomy Engineer (Spacecraft)

Impulse Space • Redondo Beach, CA

4d

About The Position

As a Principal Autonomy Engineer at Impulse Space, you will own spacecraft-level autonomous behavior across all mission phases. You will define how the vehicle detects faults, makes decisions, transitions modes, and safely executes mission objectives with minimal ground intervention.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace, Robotics, Systems Engineering, or related engineering discipline
• 12+ years of experience with requirements, interfaces, and system-level behavior definition
• Demonstrated hands-on involvement with verification, simulation, or test
• 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.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in Aerospace, Robotics, Systems Engineering, or related engineering discipline
• Strong systems thinking applied to complex, safety-critical systems
• Ability to reason about failures, edge cases, and operational risk
• Spacecraft autonomy or fault management experience
• Familiarity with flight software, GNC, or mission operations
• Experience with state machines, autonomy frameworks, or onboard decision-making
• Experience with proximity operations, rendezvous, landing, or deep-space mission

Responsibilities

• Define the spacecraft autonomy architecture, including modes, states, authority, and decision boundaries
• Develop and allocate autonomy requirements tied to mission risk and operational needs
• Own fault management, safing, and recovery logic at the system level
• Coordinate autonomy behavior across flight software, GNC, avionics, and ground systems
• Define and maintain autonomy interfaces and assumptions
• Drive system-level autonomy verification using SIL, HIL, and mission simulations
• Support integration, test campaigns, and mission operations

Benefits

• 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 .

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal