Senior Dynamics Engineer — Spacecraft Dynamics & Loads

Inversion; California (MO); On-site; USD 137,000 - 193,000; Full time

Job summary

Inversion in Playa Vista, CA is seeking a Senior Dynamics Engineer to own loads, structural dynamics, and multibody dynamics analyses across vehicle architecture and hardware realization. You will work with the Mechanical team under the Director of Mechanical to define critical dynamic environments and validate performance through analysis and hardware correlation.

The role requires a 5+ year background in aerospace dynamics, experience with ANSYS or similar tools, and strong cross‑functional

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Mechanics, a related field, or equivalent technical experience.
• Typically 5+ years of professional experience in loads, structural dynamics, multibody dynamics, or related analysis.
• Strong fundamentals in rigid‑body dynamics, structural dynamics, vibration, transient response, and mechanical system behavior.
• Experience developing and applying multibody dynamics models for mechanisms, deployment systems, separation events, or other complex dynamic hardware.
• Familiarity with finite element analysis tools such as ANSYS, Abaqus, NASTRAN, FEMAP, or equivalent.
• Experience with multibody dynamics tools such as ANSYS Motion, Adams, RecurDyn, Simpack, MATLAB/Simulink, or similar.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; proven ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Own development of vehicle loads, structural dynamics, and multibody dynamics analyses from early architecture through hardware realization.
• Define and mature load cases and dynamic environments, including launch, shock, vibration, separation, deployment, and other transient mechanical events.
• Develop and maintain multibody dynamics models to evaluate separation events and other critical mechanism‑driven vehicle behaviors.
• Partner closely with structures and mechanisms engineers to translate dynamic analysis results into design requirements, sizing inputs, interface loads, and architecture decisions.
• Support development of structural dynamics models, including modal characterization, transient response, and dynamic load prediction for flight hardware.
• Drive dynamic trade studies to evaluate mechanism architecture, deployment performance, structural response, and system sensitivity under uncertain and evolving design conditions.
• Help define test objectives, instrumentation needs, and correlation plans for mechanism, structural, and dynamic development tests.
• Correlate simulation results to test data and refine models, assumptions, and design recommendations based on hardware learnings.
• Present analysis progress, technical risks, and recommended paths forward in design reviews and cross‑functional program forums.
• Operate effectively in a fast‑paced, ambiguous development environment, balancing model fidelity, engineering judgment, and schedule needs.

Skills

Rigid-body dynamics

Structural dynamics

Multibody dynamics

Vibration

Modal analysis

Flight hardware experience

Python

MATLAB/Simulink

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering

Engineering Mechanics

Equivalent technical experience

Master’s degree

Tools

ANSYS

Abaqus

NASTRAN

FEMAP

ANSYS Motion

Adams

RecurDyn

Simpack

MATLAB/Simulink

Job description

Inversion in Playa Vista, CA is seeking a Senior Dynamics Engineer to own loads, structural dynamics, and multibody dynamics analyses across vehicle architecture and hardware realization. You will work with the Mechanical team under the Director of Mechanical to define critical dynamic environments and validate performance through analysis and hardware correlation.

The role requires a 5+ year background in aerospace dynamics, experience with ANSYS or similar tools, and strong cross‑functional