Staff Aerothermal CFD Engineer
Inversion
$161,000 - $221,000 / year
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Description
Turning Space into a Transportation Layer for Earth
Who We Are:
Inversion builds advanced reentry systems to deliver next-generation capabilities from space.
Our mission is to make Earth radically more accessible by turning Low-Earth Orbit into an on-demand logistics domain. We see space not as a destination, but as a platform — one that unlocks unprecedented speed and global reach.
Our spacecraft are designed to deliver payloads anywhere on Earth in under an hour, operating through extreme reentry conditions and landing with high precision. These systems open the door to new ways of testing, delivering, and operating at hypersonic speeds.
Inherently dual-use, our technology is built to meet urgent national security needs while laying the groundwork for future commercial applications. Backed by leading investors including Y Combinator, Spark Capital, and Lockheed Martin Ventures, and working with partners such as the U.S. Space Force and NASA, Inversion is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in space-based defense and logistics.
What You’ll Do:
Inversion’s lifting-body reentry platform will create a highly maneuverable, highly accurate, and low-cost vehicle that will be an industry-first. The Staff Aerothermal Engineer will be responsible for characterizing the aerothermodynamic environment on and around the vehicle with an emphasis on the rarefied flow regime. This role will be a key contributor to Inversion's advanced modeling efforts, and responsible for developing, improving, and implementing cutting-edge CFD tools and workflows.
On a day-to-day basis, the staff aerothermal engineer will lead the creation of high-fidelity simulations, mentor team members, and act as the driving force behind our efforts to build confidence in our vehicle models. This is a unique opportunity to help define the CFD strategy for groundbreaking technology, creatively solve novel high-speed flow challenges, and play a pivotal role in the design of next-generation hypersonic systems.
Successful candidates will have a background in DSMC simulation or familiarity with multi-physics plasma environments, a passion for pushing those tools to their limits and the drive to extend them when the work demands it.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent experience
- Typically, 9+ years of experience in hypersonic, supersonic, reentry, or rocketry external flow-field aerothermodynamic analysis
- Strong experience with high fidelity simulation of gas dynamics at conditions where inter-molecular forces must be considered (SPARTA, DAC, MAP, plasma simulation tools, etc.)
- Familiarity with Fidelity Pointwise, Link3D or equivalent meshing software for generating high-quality meshes suitable for a variety of simulations
- Strong knowledge of flows in thermal-chemical non-equilibrium
- Experience modeling mixed-regime flows such as plumes exhausting into rarefied flows.
- Experience integrating ground & flight test data into aerothermal vehicle models
- Proficiency in uncertainty quantification & relevant mathematical models
- Proven ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment, including prototyping and rapid iteration of new products
- Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance.
Desired Qualifications:
- Masters / PhD in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering, or an equivalent field.
- Experience modifying CFD solvers or coupling them for multi-physics simulations
- Experience with high temperature gas flow solvers (US3D, DPLR and/or LAURA)
- Experience with modeling radiative heating using radiation transport tools
- Experience conducting a comprehensive CFD campaign, from a vehicle’s early stages to the first flight
- Experience using programming languages like Python, Fortran, C++, MATLAB, etc.
- Involvement in planning, leading, and/or post-processing arc-jet tunnel campaigns
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 $161,000-$221,000. 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 hypersonic reentry spacecraft designed to deliver payloads anywhere on Earth in under an hour, and this role sits at the center of that aerothermal challenge. As Staff Aerothermal CFD Engineer, you'll lead the computational modeling of extreme reentry environments, with particular focus on rarefied flow regimes where traditional assumptions break down. Your work will span high-fidelity DSMC simulations, multi-physics plasma modeling, and the integration of ground and flight test data into vehicle models that drive design decisions for a genuinely novel platform.
This is a senior technical position requiring 9+ years of hands-on experience in hypersonic or reentry aerothermodynamics, strong command of specialized tools like SPARTA or plasma solvers, and deep expertise in thermal-chemical non-equilibrium flows. You'll mentor team members, define CFD strategy, and own the modeling pipeline from early design through flight validation. The role demands both technical depth—proficiency in meshing, uncertainty quantification, and solver modification—and the ability to prototype rapidly and iterate in a startup environment.
The position is based in Inversion's Playa Vista headquarters and requires in-office presence. You'll need U.S. citizenship or permanent residency to satisfy ITAR requirements and obtain a security clearance. The salary range is $161,000–$221,000 annually, with individual compensation determined by experience, skills, and background.
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Pay for this role
$161,000 to $221,000 per year
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