Manager, Non-Destructive Testing (NDT)

About the role

Department: Manufacturing. Location: Redondo Beach. The NDT Manager is responsible for leading Impulse Space’s non-destructive testing program, including technical strategy, internal inspection capability development, personnel leadership, supplier oversight, and compliance with applicable aerospace requirements. This role manages NDT Engineers and Inspectors while providing technical leadership across multiple NDT methods to ensure hardware is inspected using appropriate, capable, and repeatable techniques.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the NDT organization, including engineers, inspectors, and supporting technical personnel.
• Establish staffing plans, assign work, set priorities, develop personnel, and ensure appropriate training, qualification, and certification of NDT team members.
• Own the strategic development and continuous improvement of Impulse Space’s NDT program across multiple inspection techniques.
• Provide technical leadership in selecting and implementing inspection methods for aerospace hardware, including radiographic, ultrasonic, eddy current, penetrant, computed tomography, and other applicable methods.
• Partner with Design, Manufacturing, Quality, and Materials Engineering to determine inspection requirements, acceptance approaches, and whether inspection should be performed internally or by qualified external suppliers.
• Develop, approve, and maintain NDT specifications, procedures, work instructions, training documentation, equipment requirements, and program controls.
• Ensure NDT equipment is appropriately selected, qualified, maintained, calibrated, and capable of meeting inspection requirements.
• Build and maintain a preferred supplier base for outsourced NDT services, including specialty techniques not available internally.
• Establish supplier qualification, oversight, and performance-management processes for external inspection providers.
• Review complex inspection results, support disposition and root-cause investigations, and provide technical input on nonconformances affecting flight and development hardware.
• Drive standardization, process capability, data quality, and inspection repeatability across NDT operations.
• Support program planning, capital-equipment decisions, budget development, facility needs, and long-term capability roadmaps.
• Ensure the NDT program supports applicable aerospace requirements and the inspection needs of welds, COPVs, pressure vessels, structures, propulsion hardware, and other critical hardware.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or a related technical field and 7+ years of relevant experience.
• ASNT Level III certification in at least one relevant NDT method.
• Demonstrated technical expertise across multiple NDT inspection techniques, such as radiographic, ultrasonic, eddy current, penetrant, and/or computed tomography.
• Experience developing and maintaining an NDT program in an aerospace, spaceflight, defense, aviation, or similarly high-reliability environment.
• Experience managing, mentoring, or leading NDT Engineers, Inspectors, technicians, or equivalent technical personnel.
• Experience developing NDT procedures, training programs, inspection requirements, and equipment-capability plans.
• Ability to evaluate inspection needs for complex hardware and determine whether internal or outsourced inspection is appropriate.
• Applicants must be U.S. Persons (U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent U.S. resident, asylum grantee, refugee) or eligible to obtain an export license from U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, or other applicable agencies (ITAR/EAR compliance).

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Advanced degree in a related field.
• ASNT Level III certifications in multiple relevant inspection methods.
• Demonstrated experience leading a multi-method NDT organization, including Engineers and Inspectors.
• Demonstrated experience building or scaling internal NDT capabilities for aerospace flight hardware.
• Demonstrated experience specifically with AWS D17.1 Class A welds and AIAA S-081B Pressure Vessels.

Pay

Compensation range: $175,000 - $195,000 per year. Individual level and base pay determined case‑by‑case based on job‑related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity.

Benefits

• Long‑term incentives (stock options) for full‑time hires.
• Medical, vision, and dental coverage.
• Access to a 401(k) retirement plan.