Parachute Systems Engineer II

Inversion; California (MO); On-site; USD 106,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Inversion is an aerospace and defense company leading next-generation reentry technology with Arc for rapid global cargo delivery and hypersonic testing.

The Parachute Engineer II will design parachute systems, work with customers, and support testing and deployment systems on Arc. The role reports to the Director of Engineering, Accurate Landing, and requires in-office work at Playa Vista, CA.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 2+ years parachute design experience with significant project ownership.
• Experience with textile design, including sewing, rigging, and hardware testing.
• Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance.
• Ability to work in a dynamic, fast-paced startup environment.
• US citizen, permanent resident, or eligible to obtain ITAR authorizations.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own a variety of parachute systems from concept to manufacture.
• Work with customers to develop and satisfy design requirements.
• Support testing and design of Arc’s parachute and deployment systems.
• Lead and support parachute and parachute-adjacent hardware, mechanisms, and/or systems.

Skills

Parachute design experience

Textile design (sewing, rigging, tests

Verbal and written communication

Startup environment adaptability

Security clearance ability

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering (or related field)

Tools

GliderPlan

Openglider

LEparagliding

AutoCAD

NX

Job description

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.

What You’ll Do:

As a Parachute Engineer II at Inversion, you will play a critical role in the design, functionality, and performance of our next-generation reentry vehicles. This is a unique opportunity to work on the early stages of vehicle design, including defining vehicle architecture and creatively solving new design challenges. You will be a key member of the Accurate Landing Team, reporting directly to the Director of Engineering, Accurate Landing. In this role, you will:

• Develop and own a variety of parachute systems from concept to manufacture.
• Work with customers to develop and satisfy design requirements.
• Support testing and design of Arc’s parachute and deployment systems.
• Lead and support a variety of parachute and parachute-adjacent hardware, mechanisms, and/or systems.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Typically, 2+ years of parachute design experience with significant project ownership.
• Experienced in relevant textile design, including sewing, rigging, and hardware testing.
• Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Capable of working in a dynamic, fast-paced startup environment.
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience with relevant CAD and design software (may include GliderPlan, Openglider, LEparagliding, AutoCAD, NX, etc.).
• Experience organizing and executing drop tests or other types of tests.
• Active US security clearance or the ability to obtain security clearance
• USPA Class A Sport Parachute license or equivalent.
• Mechanical and/or pyrotechnic system design experience.
• Joint precision airdrop system (JPADS) design and testing experience.
• Knowledge of simulation-based wing modeling, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and/or wind tunnel testing.

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 $106,000 - $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.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Inversion provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or disability.

Inversion collects and processes personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws. If you are a US Job Applicant see the CCPA Privacy Policy Notice for further details.

This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance, although a clearance may not be required immediately.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Inversion’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three‑year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.