Materials Engineer II (Metals)

Impulse Space • Redondo Beach, CA

12d • Onsite

About The Position

As a Metals Materials Engineer at Impulse, you will serve as the primary materials interface for our propulsion and structures teams. In this role, you will be the go-to expert for the materials that make up our Deneb, Saiph, and Rigel engines, as well as future propulsion architectures. You will drive the development and understanding of our alloys, commercial and custom, and improve our understanding of printed, cast, and forged materials, and oversee the critical downstream processes that turn raw materials into flight-ready hardware.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Metallurgical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related field
• 3+ years of applied industry experience focusing on physical metallurgy and component manufacturing, ideally within the aerospace, defense, or high-performance automotive sectors
• Strong functional knowledge of high-temperature metals, nickel-based superalloys, stainless steels, aluminums alloys, and titanium alloys
• Direct experience with metal Additive Manufacturing (e.g., LPBF, DMLS) and an understanding of the relationship between AM process parameters, microstructure, and mechanical properties
• Working knowledge of specialized post-processing techniques, including heat treating, surface finishing, and plating
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex material trades and risks clearly to cross-functional design and manufacturing teams

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Materials Science or Metallurgical Engineering
• 5+ years of demonstrated direct experience developing or qualifying materials for liquid rocket engines or similar high-heat-flux combustion environments
• Experience developing custom alloy chemistries or optimizing standard alloys for additive manufacturing
• Familiarity with the unique machining challenges associated with superalloys and refractory metals

Responsibilities

• Serve as the dedicated materials engineering counterpart to the propulsion design team, supporting the continuous improvement of the Deneb, Saiph, and Rigel engines as well as associated propulsion systems (propellant storage, valves, lines)
• Support the metal additive manufacturing (AM) team, developing a deep, data-driven understanding of our alloys and their behavior during printing
• Support the secondary processing steps for propulsion components, including complex heat treatments, plating operations, and precision machining of hard metals
• Provide technical expertise on the physical metallurgy and application of high-performance nickel, stainless steels, aluminum, titanium, copper, and refractory alloys
• Lead failure analysis and root cause investigations for metallic propulsion components, translating findings into immediate design or process improvements
• Author and maintain material specifications, processing standards, and quality control requirements for metallic flight hardware

Benefits

• long-term incentives, in the form of stock options
• medical, vision & dental coverage
• 401(k) retirement plan

What This Job Offers

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