Senior Flight Software Engineer, Arc Vehicle

Inversion Space; California; On-site; USD 139,000 - 201,000; Full time

Job summary

Inversion in Los Angeles/Playa Vista is seeking a Senior Flight Software Engineer to design, implement, and verify core flight software for the Arc hypersonic reentry vehicle. You will own safety-critical modules from state machines to fault-management in a Linux environment.

You will integrate GNC software, run SIL/HIL tests, and mentor junior engineers while collaborating with avionics teams. This role requires in-office presence and a U.S. security clearance eligibility.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent technical experience.
• Typically 5+ years of professional experience developing embedded, real-time, or safety-critical software.
• Strong proficiency in C/C++/Rust in a Linux-based development environment.
• Solid understanding of embedded Linux, deterministic software design, memory management, and multi-threaded architectures.
• Hands-on experience interfacing with hardware via CAN, Ethernet, SPI, I2C, or RS-422.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with experience presenting technical software designs.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret clearance.

Responsibilities

• Develop, test, and deploy high-reliability, real-time flight software.
• Design safety-critical state machines, autonomous flight sequencing, and FDIR algorithms.
• Integrate GNC flight software into the main C++ loop.
• Perform low-level driver development and hardware bring-up.
• Lead SIL and HIL test suites to validate software performance.
• Mentor junior embedded software developers and participate in code reviews.
• Collaborate with systems engineers to define ICDs, telemetry packets, and CAN/Ethernet/Serial protocols.

Skills

C/C++/Rust

Embedded real-time

Linux

CAN / Ethernet / SPI / I2C / RS-422

GNC software

Code reviews & mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/CE/Aerospace or equivalent

Tools

Git

CI/CD pipelines

Unit testing frameworks

Static analysis

Job 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 Senior Flight Software Engineer at Inversion you will be responsible for designing, implementing, and verifying the core flight software that controls the Arc hypersonic reentry vehicle. You will own safety-critical software modules end-to-end, including vehicle state machines, flight autonomy, and fault-management logic .

Key Responsibilities:

Develop, test, and deploy high-reliability, real-time flight software .

Design and implement safety-critical state machines, autonomous flight sequencing, and fault detection, isolation, and recovery (FDIR) algorithms.

Integrate and optimize GNC flight software modules from the Reentry and Accurate Landing teams into the main C++ software loop.

Perform low-level driver development and board bring-up on flight hardware, debugging hardware-software interfaces using logic analyzers and oscilloscopes.

Lead the development and execution of Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) test suites to validate software performance and timing margins.

Participate in rigorous code reviews, establish technical coding standards, and mentor junior embedded software developers.

Collaborate with systems and avionics engineers to define interface control documents (ICDs), telemetry packets, and communication protocols (CAN, Ethernet, Serial).

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science , Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent technical experience.

Typically 5+ years of professional experience developing embedded, real-time, or safety-critical software.

Strong proficiency systems programming languages (C / C++ / Rust) in a Linux-based development environment.

Solid understanding of embedded Linux , deterministic software design, memory management, and multi-threaded architectures.

Hands-on experience writing software that directly interfaces with physical hardware via communication protocols (such as CAN, Ethernet, SPI, I2C, or RS-422).

Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills with experience presenting technical software designs.

Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance.

Desired Qualifications:

Experience developing flight software for spacecraft, launch vehicles, or safety-critical autonomous aerospace platforms.

Familiarity with modern software development best practices, including Git, unit-testing frameworks, static analysis, and automated CI/CD pipelines.

Familiarity with physical systems modeling, sensor data processing, or GNC algorithms.

Prior experience in a fast-paced aerospace startup or small, high-ownership team.

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 $139,000 - $201,000. 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.
ITAR Compliance:

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 .

Equal Employment Opportunity:

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.

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