Senior Mechanical Engineer

Advanced Reentry Technologies

Who We Are:

Inversion is an aerospace and defense company pioneering advanced reentry technology to enable next-generation capabilities from space. By combining high-performance materials, precision aerodynamics, and mission-driven autonomy, Inversion is transforming reentry into an operational capability for an entirely new class of missions.

The company’s highly maneuverable reentry spacecraft, Arc, is designed for rapid global cargo delivery, hypersonic testing, and other national security missions that require precise, controlled flight through the atmosphere. Arc creates an entirely new transportation domain, unlocking unprecedented speed and global reach.

Headquartered in Los Angeles, Inversion designs, manufactures, and integrates its spacecraft under one roof, enabling the company to move rapidly from concept to flight. The company is backed by leading investors including Y Combinator, Spark Capital, and Lockheed Martin Ventures, with customers across the U.S. government and commercial space industry.

Position Overview

As a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer at Inversion, you will play a critical role in the design, packaging, and rapid iteration of hardware across multiple spacecraft and hypersonic development programs. This role spans flight hardware, prototype systems, integration support, and tooling that helps programs move quickly from concept to build. You will work closely with cross-functional teams to solve hard packaging and manufacturability problems while driving designs toward real hardware. You will be a key member of the Accurate Landing Team, reporting directly to the Director of Engineering, Accurate Landing. In this role, you will:

• Design and develop mechanical systems and mechanisms that enable the accurate and precise landing of our next-generation reentry vehicle.
• Lead the development of mechanisms for parachute deployment, control actuation, and drop test structures from cradle to grave.
• Test high-performance accurate landing and recovery systems through aerial drop test campaigns.
• Qualify designs through environmental testing, including vibration, shock, load, and thermal testing.
• Support prototype design, hands-on integration, fit checks, and issue resolution during build.
• Drive design trades across performance, manufacturability, schedule, and cost.
• Work closely with manufacturing, test, supply chain, and technician teams to bring designs from concept through fabrication and integration.
• Partner with outside vendors and suppliers to source parts, review manufacturability, and accelerate development.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Typically 5+ years of applicable hands-on experience developing mechanical systems, structures, and aerospace vehicles or equivalently complicated mechanical assemblies.
• Experience using Siemens NX or similar CAD software.
• Familiarity with FEA software packages such as ANSYS Mechanical, NASTRAN, FEMAP, or similar
• Experience producing engineering drawings and applying standard dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) per ASME Y14.5.
• Experience taking hardware from concept through fabrication, assembly, and integration.
• Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proven ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance.

Desired Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Experience with spacecraft, launch, reentry, hypersonic, or other high-performance aerospace systems.
• Demonstrated history of mechanical design product ownership from cradle to grave.
• Prior experience in the design and test of qualified space-flight hardware.
• Experience supporting prototype builds and rapid design iteration in a hardware-rich environment.
• Prior experience working in startups and/or small independent teams.

Our office headquarters is located in Playa Vista, CA. This position requires in office presence.

The California annual base salary for this role is currently $137,000-$193,000. Pay Grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data.  Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education and experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity. 

ITAR Compliance:

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.  

Equal Employment Opportunity:

Inversion provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or disability.  

Inversion collects and processes personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws.  If you are a US Job Applicant see the CCPA Privacy Policy Notice for further details.