Senior Avionics Engineer
Inversion
$137,000 - $193,000 / year
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Description
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.
What You'll Do:
As a Senior Avionics Engineer, you will be personally responsible for the architecture and implementation of the core avionics elements for Inversion's next-generation vehicles. This position requires a highly motivated engineer who thrives in a fast-paced environment and can execute with autonomy. You will help define the foundation of Inversion's avionics architecture while setting the technical standards for future team growth.
You will be a key member of the Avionics team, reporting directly to the Director of Engineering, Avionics. Our engineers are responsible for the complete lifecycle of the hardware they create, including development, testing, and integration.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Develop complete avionics systems, including architecture, design, integration, and verification, from initial concept through delivery of qualified hardware
- Lead the technical execution of avionics hardware builds, including PCB design, harnessing, embedded systems, and environmental qualification
- Collaborate with propulsion, guidance and control, thermal and software teams to ensure seamless integration and performance of avionics systems
- Develop, lead, and own digital, analog, and mixed-signal circuit board designs
- Implement robust design and test processes that ensure reliability and safety of your designs
- Qualify your designs through environmental testing including vibration, shock, TCYC, and TVAC testing
- Coordinate with suppliers and internal stakeholders to manage component selection, testing, and delivery schedules
- Lead and present trade studies to shape the architecture and design
- Maintain accurate design documentation, test plans, and reports, demonstrating strong communication and organizational skills
- Contribute to flight software architecture design
Required Qualifications:
- Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance.
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field
- Typically, 5+ years of professional experience in the design, build, and test cycle for satellite and spacecraft flight computer hardware
- Proficiency executing thorough mixed-signal and digital circuit simulations
- Demonstrated ability designing PCBAs using Altium Designer or other board design software
- Hands-on work implementing mixed-signal PCBs with digital communications (UART, I2C, SPI, RS422, RS485, CAN, PCIe, Ethernet, etc.)
- Background in fault-tolerant and failover-capable electronics design
- Proven ability designing test systems and developing test plans for multidisciplinary systems
- Strong understanding of requirements, systems design, and test methods for space, launch, and/or reentry environments including thermal, vibration, shock, EMI/EMC, and radiation
- Proficient using common laboratory equipment such as oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies, spectrum analyzers, and data acquisition systems
- Proven track record of delivering high-visibility designs resulting from rigorous methodology
Desired Qualifications:
- Background in high-reliability and/or safety-critical systems for spacecraft or automotive applications
- Knowledge of radiation-hardened or rad-tolerant system design
- Demonstrated ability implementing advanced microprocessors and support structures, including DRAM, power distribution, NAND flash, and other peripherals
- Understanding of unique design requirements for long-duration orbital missions
- Knowledge of common spacecraft ADCS sensors and propulsion components (star trackers, reaction wheels, thermocouples, resistance temperature detectors (RTDs), pressure transducers, solenoid valves, etc.)
- Experience with video system development and integration
- Proficiency with software and scripting languages such as C/C++, Python, or Rust
- Proficiency with RTL languages such as VHDL or Verilog
- Prior work in startups and 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.
About this role
Inversion is building reusable orbital vehicles designed to land precisely on Earth, and this role sits at the technical core of that mission. As Senior Avionics Engineer, you'll own the architecture and implementation of flight computer systems for next-generation hardware—from initial concept through environmental qualification and delivery. You'll report directly to the Director of Engineering, Avionics, and work across the full lifecycle: PCB design, embedded systems, integration with propulsion and guidance teams, and rigorous testing including vibration, thermal cycling, and vacuum qualification.
The position demands someone with at least five years of hands-on experience designing and building satellite or spacecraft flight computers. You'll need strong expertise in mixed-signal circuit design using tools like Altium, proficiency with digital communications protocols (CAN, Ethernet, PCIe, and others), and a solid grasp of space-qualified design practices—thermal, radiation, EMI/EMC, and shock environments. Fault-tolerant electronics design and the ability to develop comprehensive test plans are essential. You should be comfortable leading trade studies, managing supplier relationships, and documenting designs rigorously.
This is an in-office role in Playa Vista, California, with a salary range of $137,000–$193,000. You'll need U.S. citizenship or permanent residency and the ability to obtain a government security clearance due to ITAR compliance requirements. The role suits engineers who thrive in fast-paced environments, can execute independently, and want to set technical standards for a growing team at a space technology startup.
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Pay for this role
$137,000 to $193,000 per year
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