Manufacturing Director
Impulse Space · Redondo Beach, CA
- Level
- Director+
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Base pay
- $200k–$230k
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 10+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- Recently
The role in 30 seconds
A director-level manufacturing role at Impulse Space (industrial) in Redondo Beach, CA. Grow team of engineers and technicians to support new programs, products and processes (e.g.
- They ask for
- 10+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Welding
- Base pay
- $200k–$230k
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Manufacturing Engineer roles in California: typical posted base $114k–$167k. This one lists $200k–$230k.
Median of the low and high ends of 117 live postings that list pay, out of 320 manufacturing engineer openings in California, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
California plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 319 other live manufacturing postings in California.
- Base pay
- About 61% above similar roles
- Experience asked
- More than usual (10+ vs 5+)
Typical $111k–$157k, from 105 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Tooling 53%
- ✓ New product launch 51%
- Root cause 40%
- Automation 35%
- Machining 29%
- CATIA / NX 29%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Manufacturing team at Impulse Space
We found 10 people at this company and state: 6 in this kind of role, 4 leaders. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
Write to Michael → (free) - 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: Impulse Space in Redondo Beach
4 other open roles at this site · 10 people we found in manufacturing roles at Impulse Space.
- Manufacturing Engineer, Spacecraft Avionics · Manufacturing
- Manufacturing Engineer, Tank Weldment/Primary Structure · Manufacturing
- CNC Programmer (2nd Shift) · Manufacturing · Technician
- Avionics Manufacturing Engineer (Electromechanical assemblies) · Reliability
Full description from Impulse SpaceAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Responsibilities
- ◆Grow team of engineers and technicians to support new programs, products and processes (e.g. components, thrust chambers, turbopumps, tanks, harnessing, tubing, welding, etc.)
- ◆Mature existing programs for the business by developing KPI’s, developing training requirements, and driving hardware reliability initiatives
- ◆Collaborate with design engineers and quality teams to ensure manufacturability, DFM compliance, and long-term reliability
- ◆Set daily and weekly production targets, backed by performance metrics
- ◆Establish and maintain high technical standards through specifications and training
- ◆Drive the expansion of capabilities and capacity on the shop floor
- ◆Work hand in hand with supply chain to determine make vs. buy decisions and drive new capabilities internally or offload commodities to external vendors
- ◆Mentor and develop levels of leadership across the organization (leads, supervisors, managers) to establish lines of defense, and succession plans for the business
Qualifications
- ✓Bachelors' degree in mechanical, aerospace engineering or related field
- ✓10+ years' of demonstrated hands-on manufacturing
- ✓5+ years' of leading high-performing teams
- ✓Demonstrated ability to thrive within an ambiguous environment
- ✓Demonstrated ability to work with cross-functional departments
Preferred Skills and Experience
- ✓12+ years' of hands-on engineering within an aerospace environment
- ✓8+ years' of hands-on manufacturing experience working on spacecraft, satellites, rockets or related hardware
- ✓Demonstrated ability to hire, train & manage engineering teams
- ✓Demonstrated experience with new product introduction
- ✓Demonstrated experience with setting up new manufacturing processes from scratch
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.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Manufacturing Director
Department: Manufacturing
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Redondo Beach
Description
As a Manufacturing Director at Impulse, you will hire, manage, and mentor manufacturing engineers, technicians, and leaders to support hardware builds for Impulse’s vehicles. You will support activities ranging from mechanical assembly, composites, mechanisms, welding, tubes, and/or vehicle integration. You will work directly with leaders and individual contributors in other disciplines. This is an opportunity to contribute to all aspects of vehicle development.
Additional Information
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 .