Ground Software Engineer II, Arc Vehicle
Inversion
$101,000 - $160,000 / 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
As a Ground Software Engineer at Inversion, you will report directly to the Engineering Manager of Arc Vehicle Software. In this role, you will build, integrate, and test the mission control software, real-time telemetry processing pipelines, and data visualization tools required to operate and monitor the Arc vehicle. You will own the development of user interfaces and backend applications used in both test and operations.
Key Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and maintain the backend architectures, telemetry parsers, and command pipelines that support ground operations and flight tests.
- Build highly reliable, low-latency operator displays and data visualization interfaces used during vehicle testing and missions.
- Develop, package, and deploy automated software tools to orchestrate and monitor Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) and Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) simulation runs.
- Define and implement communication protocol structures, serialization standards, and data definitions (e.g., JSON, Protobuf, YAML) between flight and ground hardware.
- Build and maintain high-rate time-series databases and data storage solutions for rapid post-test analysis and archive searching.
- Integrate ground station software interfaces to manage uplink and downlink RF hardware, tracking antennas, and network routing.
- Provide direct, real-time software support during integrated vehicle testing, troubleshooting networking or command-and-control drops.
Required Qualifications
- Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance.
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent technical experience.
- Typically 2+ years of professional experience developing software, with a focus on ground control systems, telemetry pipelines, or distributed systems.
- Proficiency in Rust a Linux environment.
- Experience working with network communication protocols (such as TCP, UDP, and WebSockets).
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to coordinate across software and hardware teams.
Desired Qualifications
- Experience working in full-stack software development.
- Familiarity with existing aerospace mission control and ground software frameworks (such as COSMOS, Open MCT, Yamcs, or similar).
- Experience with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) and modern DevOps practices (GitLab CI, GitHub Actions).
- Familiarity with RF communication systems, satellite link characteristics, or digital signal processing.
- Prior experience working in startups and/or small independent engineering 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 $101,000 - $160,000. 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 reentry systems to enable rapid payload delivery from orbit, and this role sits at the operational heart of that mission. As a Ground Software Engineer II, you'll develop the mission control software, telemetry pipelines, and operator interfaces that command and monitor the Arc vehicle during tests and flights. You'll own both backend systems—parsing flight data, managing command pipelines, and maintaining time-series databases for post-test analysis—and frontend tools that give operators real-time visibility into vehicle state. The work spans the full stack: defining communication protocols between flight and ground hardware, integrating RF systems and tracking antennas, orchestrating Hardware-in-the-Loop simulations, and providing direct software support during integrated testing.
The role demands solid fundamentals in distributed systems and ground control software. You'll need at least two years of professional software development experience, proficiency in Rust and Linux, and a working knowledge of network protocols like TCP, UDP, and WebSockets. Aerospace mission control frameworks like COSMOS or Open MCT are valuable, as are containerization and DevOps practices. Prior startup experience is a plus. You must be able to obtain a U.S. Secret/Top Secret clearance and meet ITAR requirements for U.S. citizenship or equivalent status.
This is an in-office role in Playa Vista, California, reporting directly to the Engineering Manager of Arc Vehicle Software. The position offers a salary range of $101,000 to $160,000, with individual pay determined by experience, skills, and background.
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Pay for this role
$101,000 to $160,000 per year
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