Structures Engineer II
Inversion
$110,000 - $150,000 / 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 Structures Engineer II at Inversion, you will own cradle to grave development of primary and secondary structures on one of the most capable reentry vehicles ever developed. You’ll drive primary structure design for a novel reentry vehicle working closely with cross-functional teams to solve complex packaging and manufacturability problems while driving designs toward real hardware.
This is a unique opportunity to own primary structure design of a new aerospace vehicle from initial concept through qualification and production. You will be a key member of the Mechanical team, reporting to the Director of Mechanical.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the design and development of primary and secondary vehicle structures, including load paths, joints, attachments, and structural interfaces
- Own structural concept development from early architecture through hardware realization, balancing mass efficiency, robustness, manufacturability, and reliability
- Partner closely with analysis engineers to develop and refine structural sizing approaches, margin strategy, and environmental load assumptions
- Drive structural integration across vehicle subsystems, including payload, avionics packaging, propulsion interfaces, and deployment/separation systems
- Support development of TPS-to-structure integration concepts, including attachment approaches, tolerances, and assembly considerations
- Generate and review CAD, drawings, and product definition needed to release high-quality hardware
- Support prototype and flight hardware builds through manufacturing coordination, assembly planning, test support, and failure investigation
- Conduct trade studies and make sound engineering decisions in a fast-paced, ambiguous development environment
- Present design progress, technical risks, and recommended paths forward in design reviews and cross-functional program forums
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, a related field, or equivalent technical experience
- Typically 2+ years of professional experience developing hardware for aerospace, defense, or similarly demanding applications
- Strong mechanical design skills with an emphasis on structural interfaces, packaging, high-load environments, and mass optimization
- Strong proficiency in 3D CAD software (NX, CATIA, Solidworks, or similar)
- Familiarity with structural analysis tools (ANSYS, Abaqus, NASTRAN, FEMAP, or equivalent) with an emphasis on modal and static structural analysis
- Proficiency in 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
- Demonstrated history of mechanical design ownership from cradle to grave
- Experience in the design and test of qualified space-flight hardware
- Experience with large metallic structures for space, aerospace, defense, or similarly demanding applications
- Experience supporting prototype builds and rapid design iteration in a hardware-rich environment
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 $110,000 - $150,000. 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 spacecraft designed to deliver payloads anywhere on Earth in under an hour, and this role puts you in charge of the structural design that makes that possible. As a Structures Engineer II, you'll own primary and secondary structure development for one of their reentry vehicles from concept through production—designing load paths, joints, and interfaces while solving the complex packaging and manufacturability challenges inherent to hypersonic flight. You'll work closely with analysis engineers, subsystem teams, and manufacturing to balance mass efficiency, robustness, and reliability in a hardware-rich environment.
This position suits someone with at least two years of aerospace or defense hardware experience who has strong CAD skills (NX, CATIA, or Solidworks) and familiarity with structural analysis tools like ANSYS or NASTRAN. You'll need to be comfortable with GD&T, detailed engineering drawings, and the ability to move quickly through trade studies and design decisions in an ambiguous, fast-paced setting. Experience with qualified spaceflight hardware, large metallic structures, or cradle-to-grave mechanical design ownership is valued but not required.
The role is based in Inversion's Playa Vista, California office and requires in-person presence. You'll need to be a U.S. citizen or eligible for ITAR authorization, and you must be able to obtain a Secret or Top Secret security clearance. The salary range is $110,000–$150,000 annually.
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Pay for this role
$110,000 to $150,000 per year
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