Senior TPS Design Engineer

Inversion; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading aerospace technology company located in California is seeking a Senior TPS Design Engineer to design advanced thermal protection systems for their Arc vehicle. The ideal candidate will have a bachelor’s degree and at least five years of experience working with materials suitable for extreme temperatures. This role involves organizing testing, developing integration methods, and conducting analysis of heat shields, requiring onsite presence. Competitive salary is offered based on experience.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience with materials for extreme temperature environments.
• Experience in design and testing of thermal protection systems.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience using CAD software like Siemens NX.

Responsibilities

• Design thermal protection systems for the Arc vehicle.
• Organize TPS materials development and qualification testing.
• Develop integration methods to reduce manufacturing time.
• Conduct analysis and design of flight heat shields.

Skills

Material Science

Materials Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Aerospace Engineering

Chemical Engineering

Extreme temperature materials

Siemens NX or similar CAD software

Fast-paced environment adaptability

Education

Bachelor’s degree in relevant field

Job description

Turning Space into a Transportation Layer for Earth

Senior TPS Design Engineer:

Who We Are:

Eras of humanity can often be defined by a dominant transportation mode – horse drawn carriage, ocean faring boats, or aircraft. These were spurred by a small group of people rigorously focused on building technology to achieve faster access to more of the world. We seek to usher in a new era of humanity defined by universal access to the whole globe free of borders and the presence of a routine way from space to Earth. To do this, we are building highly maneuverable re‑entry vehicles that can loiter in orbit before precision landing back on Earth.

What You’ll Do:

In this role, you will:

• Design cutting edge thermal protection systems for Inversion’s Arc vehicle
• Organize development and qualification testing of TPS materials and installations
• Develop accelerated TPS integration methods to reduce manufacturing time
• Develop the analysis and design workflow of the flight heatshields for flight vehicles
• Explore trades between TPS materials and manufacturing methods
• Work with outside vendors, suppliers, and testing resources to bring new materials, capabilities, and processes in-house at Inversion

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum of Bachelor’s degree in Material Science, Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or Chemical Engineering OR equivalent experience in a relevant field
• Typically, 5+ years of professional experience working with, formulating, or producing materials for extreme temperature environments (Reentry, Rocketry, Hypersonics, Propulsion, Nuclear Power, etc.)
• Experience using Siemens NX or similar CAD software
• Proven ability to work effectively in a fast‑paced environment
• This role is onsite at our Playa Vista, California office

Desired Qualifications:

• Professional experience in design, testing, and integration of thermal protection systems for hypersonic or reentry flight vehicles
• Professional experience working with, formulating, or producing ablative or ceramic TPS
• Strong understanding of the fundamentals behind aerothermal heating of reentry vehicles, TPS production, and thermal environments of extreme temperature applications
• Professional experience working with, formulating, or producing ablative or ceramic TPS
• Prior experience working in startups and/or small independent teams

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

$150,000-$170,000. 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. #LI-FH1

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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