Mechanical Engineer IINewPlaya Vista, California,

Mechanical Engineer II New Playa Vista, California, United States Design and develop mechanical systems for next‑generation reentry vehicles

Location:

Los Angeles

Compensation: $109, USD / year

Job Tags:
Hardware

Turning Space into a Transportation Layer for Earth

Who We Are:

Eras of humanity can often be defined by a dominant transportation mode - horse‑drawn chariots, ocean‑going boats, or aircraft. These were spurred by a small group of people rigorously focused on building technology to achieve faster access to more of the world. We seek to usher in a new era of humanity defined by universal access to the whole globe free of borders and the presence of a routine way from space to Earth.

To do this, we are building highly maneuverable re‑entry vehicles that can loiter in orbit before precision landing back on Earth.

• Lead mechanical design efforts for the avionics team and partner with cross‑domain stakeholders to design and deliver mechanical systems critical to avionics success.
• Design mechanical systems that interface directly with avionics subsystems and components for our next‑generation reentry vehicle.
• Develop tooling and test equipment enabling critical functions, including environmental test, vehicle integration, and vehicle test.
• Qualify designs through environmental testing, including vibration, shock, load, and thermal testing.

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Typically 3+ years of applicable hands‑on experience developing mechanical systems and mechanisms.
• Strong practical mechanical design skills related to mechanisms, packaging, high load environments, and user interfaces.
• High familiarity with CAD software, such as Siemens NX.
• Familiarity with FEA software packages such as ANSYS Mechanical, NASTRAN, FEMAP or similar with an emphasis on modal and static structural analysis.
• Experience producing engineering drawings and applying standard dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) per ASME Y14.5.
• Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Capable of working in a dynamic, fast‑paced startup environment.
• This position is on‑site at Inversion HQ in Playa Vista, CA.

• Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Hands‑on vehicle integration experience of mechanisms including avionics, harnessing, bracketry, and related components.
• Demonstrated history of mechanical design product ownership from cradle to grave.
• Experience with vehicle‑level flight test campaigns and hardware/avionics qualification.
• Prior experience in design and test of qualified space‑flight hardware.

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 $109,000 – $128,000 USD. 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.

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.

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.