IRPI is at the forefront of space exploration technology, pioneering flight hardware that sustains life and enables discovery beyond Earth. We bridge the gap between first-principles research and operational reality, delivering critical systems for NASA and commercial partners — from fluids and propellant management to crew-sustaining technologies like air revitalization, thermal management, PLSS subsystems, waste processing, filtration, bioreactors, and fire safety. As a lean, high-performance team of engineers and scientists, we pair high-fidelity analysis with hands-on design, build, and test to solve multidisciplinary problems and expand the boundaries of human presence in space.
About the Role
We're a small engineering company entering our next phase of growth, and we're looking for an Engineering Operations Associate to take ownership of the operational work that currently lands on the founders' desks. This role exists to support our engineering team and run the operational machinery of a hardware shop — contracts, proposals, project financials, vendors, hiring logistics, production, and the dozens of other things that keep a technical organization moving. Your job is to absorb that load precisely, diligently, and with the latest tools, so leadership can stay focused on technical and customer-facing work.
This role is best suited for someone early in their operations career who is sharp, organized, and genuinely excited to learn the work of running an agile technical hardware company. You'll work closely with the president on a wide range of activities, from contract paperwork to vendor management to financial tracking. The work is broad rather than deep, and the standard is high. If you want a defined lane with established processes, this isn't the right fit. If you want to build the playbook alongside leadership at a growing engineering company, read on.
Key Responsibilities
- Contract & Document Administration. Route NDAs and contracts for signature, maintain organized records of executed agreements and deliverables, track submission confirmations, and keep documentation discipline high across the company.
- Proposal Submission Coordination. Manage the administrative side of proposal preparation — maintain a library of boilerplate content, run submission checklists, assemble proposal packages, and ensure government forms are complete and compliant. Technical content stays with engineering and the president; you own that the package goes out clean and on time.
- Project Financial Tracking. In partnership with the president, support project budget tracking, burn rate monitoring, and Budget vs. Actual (BvA) reporting. You'll grow into greater ownership of this function as you learn IRPI's contract structures and accounting workflows.
- Vendor & Facilities Coordination. Manage relationships with building service providers, IT vendors, and other external partners. Oversee IT hardware/software inventory and coordinate facility logistics including any expansion activities.
- Hiring & Onboarding Coordination. Schedule interviews, coordinate candidate communications in our ATS, manage onboarding logistics including hardware provisioning and account setup for new hires.
- Light Project Tracking Support. Help maintain visibility into deliverable timelines and milestones across active programs. Dedicated technical project management is a separate future role; you'll support the current cadence without owning end-to-end program management.
- Process Improvement. Identify inefficiencies in how we operate today, document standard operating procedures as they emerge, and use modern software and AI tools to automate repetitive work.
- General Executive Support. Triage email and meetings on behalf of the president, prepare materials for internal and external meetings, and follow up on action items so things don't fall through the cracks.