Lead TPS Materials Engineer for Spacecraft Ablatives

Inversion; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 244,000; Full time

Job summary

Inversion in Playa Vista, CA, is seeking a senior materials engineer to lead development of ablative TPS materials for extreme environments. You will prototype at small scale, scale to flight, and collaborate with vendors and test facilities to deliver in-house capabilities.

The role emphasizes rapid iteration, hands-on fabrication automation, and mentoring engineers, with exposure to aerospace-grade materials and ITAR-compliant processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent.
• Typically, 12+ years of experience developing, formulating, or producing materials for extreme temperature environments.
• Experience with carbon phenolic ablators, reinforced carbon/carbon, or refractory ceramic matrix composites.
• Experience with material characterization testing across a wide temperature range.
• Experience prototyping and scaling material fabrication processes.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with rapid iteration.
• On-site requirement at Inversion HQ in Playa Vista, CA and ability to obtain security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Develop new ablative TPS material formulations optimized for performance and cost.
• Characterize material response across harsh thermal environments.
• Prototype material fabrication at small scale and mature toward flight quality.
• Automate fabrication at large scale using advanced manufacturing methods.
• Plan and execute material characterization campaigns across a wide temperature range.
• Collaborate with vendors, test facilities, and suppliers to bring capabilities in-house.
• Mentor senior and early-career engineers across the organization.

Skills

Materials formulation

Materials testing

Prototype fabrication

Fabrication automation

Vendor collaboration

Mentoring engineers

Education

Bachelor's degree in Materials Science or related field

PhD in Materials Science or related field

Tools

FIAT

CHAR

PATO

Job description

Inversion in Playa Vista, CA, is seeking a senior materials engineer to lead development of ablative TPS materials for extreme environments. You will prototype at small scale, scale to flight, and collaborate with vendors and test facilities to deliver in-house capabilities.

The role emphasizes rapid iteration, hands-on fabrication automation, and mentoring engineers, with exposure to aerospace-grade materials and ITAR-compliant processes.