Senior Flight Software Engineer, Arc Vehicle

Inversion; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 139,000 - 201,000; Full time

Job summary

Inversion is looking for a Senior Flight Software Engineer to join their team in Playa Vista, California. The candidate will design and implement flight software for cutting-edge hypersonic reentry vehicles, ensuring safety and reliability in performance.

With a focus on embedded systems, the role includes developing algorithms and collaborating across teams to push the boundaries of aerospace technology. Candidates should have 5+ years of experience in relevant fields and proficiency in C/C++ development.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in embedded or safety-critical software.
• Strong proficiency in systems programming languages in a Linux environment.
• Experience with hardware interfaces and communication protocols.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement core flight software for the Arc hypersonic vehicle.
• Lead development and execution of test suites for software validation.
• Collaborate with engineers to define interface control documents.

Skills

C programming

C++ programming

Rust programming

Embedded systems

Real-time software development

Linux-based development

Communication protocols

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or equivalent

Tools

Git

Milestones in software development

Job description

Turning Space into a Transportation Layer for Earth

Who We Are

Inversion builds advanced reentry systems to deliver next-generation capabilities from space. Our mission is to make Earth radically more accessible by turning Low-Earth Orbit into an on-demand logistics domain. We see space not as a destination, but as a platform — one that unlocks unprecedented speed and global reach.

Our spacecraft are designed to deliver payloads anywhere on Earth in under an hour, operating through extreme reentry conditions and landing with high precision. These systems open the door to new ways of testing, delivering, and operating at hypersonic speeds.

Inherently dual-use, our technology is built to meet urgent national security needs while laying the groundwork for future commercial applications. Backed by leading investors including Y Combinator, Spark Capital, and Lockheed Martin Ventures, and working with partners such as the U.S. Space Force and NASA, Inversion is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in space-based defense and logistics.

What You’ll Do

As a Senior Flight Software Engineer at Inversion, you will report directly to the Engineering Manager of Arc Vehicle Software. In this role, 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 in 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.

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.

Office Location

Our office headquarters is located in Playa Vista, CA. This position requires in office presence.

Compensation

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. 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.