Lead Manufacturing Engineer (PCBA)

Department: Manufacturing • Employment Type: Full Time • Location: Redondo Beach • Workplace type: Onsite

About the role

As a Lead Manufacturing Engineer (PCBA), you will provide leadership and mentorship to a team of PCBA manufacturing engineers. You will own PCBA manufacturing across the company for all products, directly impacting the performance and reliability of all vehicles sent into orbit.

Responsibilities

• Recruit and lead a team of PCBA manufacturing engineers, including providing mentorship and developing the team.
• Provide guidance to a team of manufacturing engineers on writing work instructions for board assembly, solder rework, inspection, and acceptance testing.
• Implement processes to streamline the manufacturing process while improving rate, quality, and reliability.
• Set up and run an SMT line to support both development and production objectives.
• Build up acceptance testing (ATP) capability of PCBAs, including functional and environmental testing.
• Lead collaboration with design engineers to ensure manufacturability and provide input in PDR and CDR reviews.
• Optimize production rate, yield, and cost of PCBA production.
• Ensure timely delivery of PCBAs to box-level assembly.
• Stay up to date with industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in PCBA manufacturing to drive innovation.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field.
• 6+ years of demonstrated PCBA manufacturing experience (or related field), preferably in a high-reliability environment.
• 3+ years of experience in a people management role.
• Strong track record of and commitment to developing and mentoring people.
• Deep understanding of manufacturing processes and materials used in PCBA manufacturing.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• MS/PhD in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field.
• Experience with PCBA manufacturing for space applications.
• Experience with setting up and running an SMT line.
• Experience with PCBA inspection techniques, such as X-ray/CT, AOI, flying probe, etc.
• Experience with PCBA functional testing (software and firmware) and environmental testing for space applications (thermal cycling, vibration, thermal vacuum).

Pay

$140,000 - $180,000 / year

Benefits

• Long-term incentives in the form of stock options.
• Medical, vision, and dental coverage.
• Access to a 401(k) retirement plan.

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.