Optical Communications Systems Engineer

Impulse Space

Impulse Space

Marketing & Communications, Software Engineering

USD 150k-220k / year + Equity

Posted on Jun 6, 2026
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As an Optical Communications Systems Engineer at Impulse Space, you will be a senior technical contributor responsible for shaping the architecture of free-space optical communications systems. You will own the system-level models and trade studies that determine link margin, achievable data rate, terminal sizing, pointing requirements, optical throughput, receiver sensitivity, and end-to-end mission performance.

This role is intended for an engineer who can operate at an architecture level while staying close to the hardware. You will build and maintain practical Python, MATLAB, or similar modeling tools, use those tools to make architecture recommendations, and translate the results into requirements for optical, electrical, GNC, software, mechanical, and test teams.

Relevant experience may come from space optical communications, terrestrial fiber communications, coherent optical systems, high-data-rate telecom hardware, or adjacent optical/electrical communications systems. Prior space hardware experience is valuable but not required.

Leveling will be commensurate with experience, with emphasis on senior, staff, or principal-level technical contribution.

Department
Avionics
Employment Type
Full Time
Location
Redondo Beach
Workplace type
Onsite
Compensation
$150,000 - $220,000 / year

Responsibilities

  • Own and maintain end-to-end optical communications link budget models for free-space optical communications systems.
  • Develop architecture models for space-to-ground and space-to-space lasercom links across relevant mission regimes.
  • Quantify link margin, data rate, acquisition margin, and sensitivity to major terminal design choices.
  • Model optical transmitter and receiver performance from electrical input through propagation to detected signal.
  • Lead architecture trades across aperture size, transmit power, modulation, coding, pointing stability, atmospheric loss, and receiver sensitivity.
  • Incorporate relevant assumptions from terrestrial fiber communications and high-data-rate optical hardware into space-based optical communications architecture trades.
  • Support PAT architecture by modeling pointing and acquisition sensitivity as it affects link closure and terminal design.

Minimum Qualifications

  • Degree or equivalent experience in optical engineering, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, physics, applied math, or a related technical field.
  • Experience building physics-based engineering models in Python, MATLAB, or a similar environment.
  • Strong fundamentals in optics, communications, radiometry, statistics, signal processing, or related disciplines.
  • Ability to work across disciplines and clearly communicate assumptions, sensitivities, margins, and technical risk.
  • Experience with optical communications, RF communications, telecom systems, high-speed electrical/optical hardware, or related system-level communications architecture.

Preferred Skills and Experience

  • Experience with free-space optical communications, lasercom, optical link budgets, or optical terminal architecture.
  • Experience with terrestrial fiber communications, coherent optical communications, high-data-rate ground hardware, or telecom systems.
  • Experience with coherent or direct-detection optical communications and receiver sensitivity analysis.
  • Familiarity with optical transmitter or receiver hardware such as EDFAs, modulators, fiber optics, photodetectors, coherent receivers, or telescope systems.
  • Experience modeling atmospheric propagation, turbulence, cloud statistics, weather data, or optical site availability.
  • Experience with PAT, jitter, beam steering, fiber coupling, pointing loss, or terminal pointing requirements.
  • Space hardware, spacecraft, or mission architecture experience is helpful but not required.




Additional Information:

Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. 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.

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. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Impulse Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Impulse Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

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.

Our Hiring Process

Stage 1:

Application Received

Stage 2:

Resume Review

Stage 3:

Intro Phone Interview

Stage 4:

Technical Phone Interview(s)

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