Senior Mechanical Engineer — Hypersonic Reentry Hardware

Inversion Space Company; California; On-site; USD 137,000 - 193,000; Full time

Job summary

Inversion Space Company is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to own cradle-to-grave development of mission-critical hardware for advanced reentry vehicles. You will craft architecture, manage packaging, and drive designs toward robust flight hardware with cross-functional collaboration.

You will work hands-on with manufacturing, perform analyses, and lead test campaigns to ensure performance in harsh space environments. Based in Playa Vista, CA, this role requires in-office presence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering or related field.
• Typically 5+ years hardware development experience for aerospace/defense.
• Strong CAD skills with NX/CATIA/SolidWorks.
• FEA/analytical experience with ANSYS/Abaqus/NASTRAN.
• Experience designing for vacuum, extreme temperatures, shock and vibration.
• Proficient in engineering drawings with GD&T and documentation.
• Ability to obtain U.S. government security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop flight-critical mechanical systems from concept to flight qualification.
• Lead subsystem integration and vehicle packaging for cohesive operation.
• Perform structural and thermal analysis to validate designs in spaceflight environments.
• Plan and execute environmental test campaigns (shock, vibration, TVAC, EMI/EMC).
• Create detailed drawings, ICDs, and design specifications.
• Collaborate with manufacturing to build, troubleshoot, and iterate hardware.
• Support vehicle integration during assembly, test, and launch activities.
• Present design trades and lead design reviews with cross-functional teams.

Skills

CAD design

FEA analysis

Harsh environments

Spaceflight hardware

Education

Bachelor's degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering

Master’s degree in aerospace or mechanical engineering

Tools

NX

CATIA

SolidWorks

ANSYS

Abaqus

NASTRAN

Job description

Inversion Space Company is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to own cradle-to-grave development of mission-critical hardware for advanced reentry vehicles. You will craft architecture, manage packaging, and drive designs toward robust flight hardware with cross-functional collaboration.

You will work hands-on with manufacturing, perform analyses, and lead test campaigns to ensure performance in harsh space environments. Based in Playa Vista, CA, this role requires in-office presence.