Build Reliability Engineer (Helios)

As a Build Reliability Engineer for Helios at Impulse, you will own the connection between design intent, manufacturing execution, and flight performance for the Helios Kick Stage and supporting hardware. You will work hands-on with technicians, manufacturing engineers, and design teams to prevent defects before they occur, rapidly diagnose failures, and continuously improve hardware reliability across spacecraft builds. 

Responsibilities

• Support Helios Kick Stage, Composites, Propulsion, and Welding sub-teams at Impulse 
• Partner with design, manufacturing, and integration teams to ensure hardware is built reliably and repeatably from prototype through production
• Support early development test and build campaigns to characterize hardware performance, material properties, and design decisions
• Identify, investigate, and eliminate build defects through structured root cause analysis and corrective actions
• Evaluate cross-discipline kick stage vehicle requirements (propulsion, structures, avionics, etc.) to ensure component and system-level requirements align
• Develop inspection, acceptance, and quality control processes aligned with hardware reliability requirements
• Support hardware integration, test, and environmental campaigns by diagnosing anomalies and driving resolution to closure
• Provide design-for-reliability and manufacturability feedback during design reviews and build planning
• Develop and implement MRP/ERP improvements for improved hardware handling, trace, data collection, and overall reliability
• Develop and implement build quality metrics to heighten awareness and to improve quality landscape over time
• Audit production floor processes against process requirements
• Identify requirement gaps and write specifications to fill those gaps
• Implement projects to improve manufacturing reliability 
• Own training and certification of elevated sign-off privileges for processes 
• Interface with supply chain to improve vendor hardware quality

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field
• 3+ years of experience in hardware manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, or high-reliability systems
• Demonstrated experience supporting production builds, integration, or test of primary structures and/or complex mechanical or electromechanical systems
• Strong problem-solving skills with demonstrated root cause analysis experience