Senior TPS Design Engineer
Inversion
$150,000 - $210,000 / year
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Description
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.
- Design cutting edge thermal protection systems for Inversion’s Arc vehicle.
- Organize development and qualification testing of TPS materials and installations.
- Develop accelerated TPS integration methods to reduce manufacturing time.
- Develop the analysis and design workflow of the flight heatshields for flight vehicles.
- Explore trades between TPS materials and manufacturing methods.
- Work with outside vendors, suppliers, and testing resources to bring new materials, capabilities, and processes in-house at Inversion.
- Bachelor’s degree in Material Science, Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or Chemical Engineering OR equivalent experience in a relevant field.
- Typically, 5+ years of professional experience working with, formulating, or producing materials for extreme temperature environments (Reentry, Rocketry, Hypersonics, Propulsion, Nuclear Power, etc.).
- Experience using Siemens NX or similar CAD software.
- 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.
- Professional experience in design, testing, and integration of thermal protection systems for hypersonic or reentry flight vehicles.
- Professional experience working with, formulating, or producing ablative or ceramic TPS.
- Strong understanding of the fundamentals behind aerothermal heating of reentry vehicles, TPS production, and thermal environments of extreme temperature applications.
- Prior experience working in startups and/or small independent teams.
The California annual base salary for this role is currently $150,000-$210,000. 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.
Benefits
- stock options
About this role
Inversion is building reentry vehicles designed to deliver payloads anywhere on Earth in under an hour, and they need a Senior TPS Design Engineer to make that possible. Your core responsibility will be designing and developing the thermal protection systems that allow these hypersonic spacecraft to survive extreme reentry conditions. You'll collaborate with aerothermal and structures teams to balance performance with cost, run qualification testing on TPS materials, streamline manufacturing processes, and work with external vendors to integrate new capabilities—all while moving at startup speed.
This role demands at least five years of hands-on experience with materials in extreme temperature environments, whether in reentry, rocketry, hypersonics, or similar fields. You'll need a bachelor's degree in a relevant engineering or materials discipline, proficiency in Siemens NX or equivalent CAD software, and the ability to obtain a U.S. government security clearance. Prior direct experience designing, testing, and integrating thermal protection systems for hypersonic or reentry vehicles is highly valued, as is familiarity with ablative or ceramic TPS materials and the aerothermal fundamentals behind them.
The position is based in Inversion's Playa Vista headquarters and requires in-office presence. The salary range is $150,000–$210,000 annually. You'll need to be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident to comply with ITAR regulations governing space technology.
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Pay for this role
$150,000 to $210,000 per year
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