Staff Mechanisms Engineer
Inversion
$161,000 - $221,000 / 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.
Position Overview
As a Staff Mechanisms Engineer at Inversion, you will own cradle to grave development of mission-critical mechanisms on one of the most capable reentry vehicles ever developed. You’ll drive mechanical system architecture and collaborate with stakeholders across structures, avionics, propulsion, TPS, and GNC to ensure seamless integration of the mechanical assemblies into our next-generation vehicles.
This role demands a hands-on engineer who can fluidly move between high-level system architecture, detailed design work, first-principles analysis, hardware testing, and cross-functional collaboration. You will own designs from initial concept through qualification and into production. You will be a key member of the Mechanical team, reporting to the Director of Mechanical.
Key Responsibilities
- Design and develop flight-critical mechanisms including actuators, deployment mechanisms, separation systems, and cartridge actuated devices from concept through flight qualification
- Perform detailed structural and thermal analysis using FEA and analytical methods to validate designs against hypersonic and spaceflight environments
- Develop and execute comprehensive test campaigns including functional testing, environmental qualification (vibration, shock, thermal, TVAC, EMI/EMC), life cycle testing, and acceptance testing
- Create detailed engineering drawings, assembly procedures, interface control documents (ICDs), and design specifications
- Work hands-on with manufacturing and integration teams to build, troubleshoot, and iterate hardware rapidly
- Drive design reviews and present technical trade studies to inform architecture and component selection decisions
- Coordinate with suppliers and vendors for custom component procurement, ensuring adherence to schedule and technical requirements
- Support vehicle integration activities and provide technical expertise during assembly, test, and launch operations
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, a related field, or equivalent technical experience
- 9+ years of professional experience designing, analysising, and testing mechanisms and moving mechanical assemblies (MMA) for aerospace, defense, or similarly demanding applications
- Strong mechanical design skills with proficiency in 3D CAD software (NX, CATIA, Solidworks, or similar)
- Hands-on experience with structural and thermal analysis using FEA tools (ANSYS, Abaqus, NASTRAN, or equivalent)
- Demonstrated ability designing for harsh environments including vacuum, extreme temperatures, shock, and vibration
- Deep understanding of mechanical systems including mechanisms, actuators, fasteners, bearings, seals, and material properties
- Experience with environmental testing (shock, vibration, TVAC) and qualification programs for spaceflight hardware
- Proficiency creating detailed engineering drawings with GD&T and other technical documentation
- Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills
- 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.
Desired Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, a related field, or equivalent experience
- Experience with spacecraft and aerospace mechanisms such as deployment systems, control surfaces, separation mechanisms, solar array drives, gimbal systems, or cartridge actuated devices
- Familiarity with propulsion system components including valves, pressure vessels, feed systems, and fluid interfaces
- Experience supporting prototype builds and rapid design iteration in a hardware-rich environment
- Prior work in fast-paced startup environments or small multidisciplinary 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 $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.
Benefits
- stock options
About this role
Inversion is building reentry systems that deliver payloads from Low-Earth Orbit to anywhere on Earth in under an hour. As Staff Mechanisms Engineer, you'll own the complete development of flight-critical mechanisms—actuators, deployment systems, separation devices, and cartridge-actuated components—that make this possible. This is a hands-on role that spans concept design through flight qualification and production, requiring you to move fluidly between system architecture, detailed analysis, hardware testing, and cross-functional collaboration with structures, avionics, propulsion, and guidance teams.
The work demands deep expertise in mechanical design for extreme environments. You'll perform structural and thermal analysis using FEA, design and execute comprehensive test campaigns (vibration, shock, thermal, TVAC, EMI/EMC), create detailed engineering drawings and interface control documents, and work directly with manufacturing and integration teams to build and troubleshoot hardware. You'll also drive design reviews, manage supplier relationships, and support vehicle assembly and launch operations.
This position requires 8+ years designing and testing mechanisms for aerospace or defense applications, strong CAD and FEA proficiency, and demonstrated experience qualifying hardware for spaceflight. A background with spacecraft mechanisms, propulsion components, or rapid prototyping in startup environments is valued. The role is based in Playa Vista, California and requires in-office presence. You'll need the ability to obtain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance. The salary range is $161,000–$221,000.
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Pay for this role
$161,000 to $221,000 per year
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