Mission Architect (Staff-level)

As a Staff Mission Architect at Impulse, you will define the mission-level logic that guides our future systems before any vehicle architecture is conceived. This role begins where customer inputs are vague or incomplete - broad mission challenges, loosely defined operational goals, partial technical desirements, or emerging government concepts needing structure. You will transform these uncertainties into quantitative, defensible mission requirements that shape early pursuits and enable disciplined architecture development.

You are the bridge between Business Development and Program Management/Engineering. Business Development brings customer ambitions; you convert them into mission-level requirements; Advanced Mission Concepts Engineers (AMCEs) then develop conceptual system solutions; and Program Management later matures these into full products. You ensure every mission has a clearly articulated analytical foundation before systems design begins.

This role includes direct engagement with U.S. Government customers and program offices, and travel up to approximately 25%.

Responsibilities

• Lead mission-level analysis across payloads, constellations, ground systems, C2, cyber, and operational context to define mission success criteria and performance thresholds
• Convert vague customer desires into quantitative “small-r” requirements that guide downstream conceptual design
• Develop and employ mission-level modeling and simulation tools for things such as coverage analysis, NIIRS scoring, gap times, latency modeling, mission availability, constellation behavior, and resilience assessments
• Produce derived requirements for mission elements such as sensitivity, ΔV envelopes, timeline constraints, communications/latency performance, revisit and coverage metrics, and payload-specific performance parameters
• Partner with AMCEs to evaluate conceptual solutions against mission requirements; assess mission impact of engineering-driven tradeoffs, cost reductions, replenishment strategies, or performance adjustments
• Act as the mission architecting lead during early capture phases - shaping mission definitions, requirement frameworks, evaluation criteria, and success metrics before vehicle or system concept formulation
• Support Business Development by generating mission-analysis content for white papers, BAAs, RFIs, challenge submissions, and requirements-shaping discussions with government customers and FFRDC/UARC partners
• Conduct red-team-style assessments to identify mission weaknesses, operational risks, adversary constraints, and system-of-systems considerations that influence requirement prioritization
• Ensure mission architectures incorporate realistic operational constraints such as ground station availability, crosslink integration, cyber/hardening implications, adversary counters, and resilience needs
• Build reusable mission-analysis models and tools so requirements development compounds rather than restarts with each pursuit
• Work with industry and government partners on analysis frameworks, tools, scenarios, and execution of mission analyses

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical field
• 8+ years of demonstrated experience in aerospace, defense, or intelligence community experience in mission analysis, system-of-systems engineering, or operational modeling
• Demonstrated ability to derive quantitative mission requirements from ambiguous or incomplete customer inputs
• Proficiency with mission-level modeling tools (e.g., STK, AGI Analysis Workbench, EO/IR performance tools) and scripting languages (Python, MATLAB)
• Familiarity with payload performance modeling, constellation analysis, ground segment architectures, C2 systems, and cyber considerations
• Strong technical writing skills for mission analysis reports, concept studies, and requirements derivation documents
• Eligibility for a U.S. security clearance; ability to obtain TS/SCI

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Master’s degree or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field
• Active TS/SCI strongly preferred
• Red team experience at or with national laboratories, FFRDCs, UARCs, or similar mission-analysis organizations
• Experience with U.S. Government space S&T customers (DARPA, AFRL, NRL, NRO, SDA, SSC)
• Experience developing mission utility assessments, Analysis of Alternatives (AoAs), mission risk models, or operational simulations
• Familiarity with EO/IR, radar, SIGINT, or other mission-specific payload performance modeling
• Experience collaborating with conceptual design engineers or vehicle architects
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced startup environment

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.