Senior Tooling Engineer

Inversion; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 137,000 - 193,000; Full time

Job summary

Inversion is seeking a Tooling Engineer II to design tooling for thermal protection systems (TPS) and support manufacturing at our Playa Vista, CA headquarters. You will lead tooling design from concept through fabrication, develop layup molds and forming tools, and collaborate with technicians and vendors to ensure repeatable, safe, and high-quality production in a fast-paced startup environment.

The role emphasizes CAD drawings, tolerances, and fabrication packages, with an on-site requirement

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or equivalent.
• 2+ years designing and fabricating tooling, fixtures, or support equipment.
• Experience with Siemens NX or similar CAD software.
• Strong GD&T, drawing creation, and tolerance fundamentals.
• Familiarity with machining, welding, fabrication, and shop processes.
• Hands-on experience supporting manufacturing, assembly, or prototype hardware builds.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• On-site at Inversion HQ Playa Vista, CA; U.S. government security clearance eligibility.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design of tooling used at each stage of the manufacturing and integration process for TPS materials from initial concept through fabrication.
• Design layup molds, winding mandrels, and forming tools for parts with complex curvature accounting for elevated-temperature processing, tool-to-part CTE mismatch, and tool life
• Design tooling that supports thin, curved, and fragile parts through machining, trimming, and drilling
• Generate detailed CAD, drawings, and fabrication packages for internal and external build
• Work directly with technicians and manufacturing teams to improve ergonomics, repeatability, and process flow
• Coordinate with outside vendors and internal machine shop resources to fabricate and modify tooling quickly
• Improve tooling designs through hands‑on iteration during material development and hardware build

Skills

Tooling design

Siemens NX

GD&T

Verbal & written communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or equivalent

Tools

Siemens NX

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

At Inversion, development speed and scalable systems depend on robust, practical tooling that makes assembly and integration repeatable. As a Tooling Engineer II focused on TPS, you will design the tooling that is critical to successfully manufacturing, forming, machining and integrating thermal protection materials. You will work closely with materials engineers, technicians, and manufacturing teams to create tooling that is simple, durable, and effective across demanding thermal processes. In this role, you will:

• Lead the design of tooling used at each stage of the manufacturing and integration process for TPS materials from initial concept through fabrication.
• Design layup molds, winding mandrels, and forming tools for parts with complex curvature accounting for elevated-temperature processing, tool-to-part CTE mismatch, and tool life
• Design tooling that supports thin, curved, and fragile parts through machining, trimming, and drilling
• Generate detailed CAD, drawings, and fabrication packages for internal and external build
• Work directly with technicians and manufacturing teams to improve ergonomics, repeatability, and process flow
• Coordinate with outside vendors and internal machine shop resources to fabricate and modify tooling quickly
• Improve tooling designs through hands‑on iteration during material development and hardware build

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or equivalent experience
• 2+ years of applicable experience designing and fabricating tooling, fixtures, or support equipment
• Experience using Siemens NX or similar CAD software
• Strong GD&T, drawing creation, and tolerance fundamentals
• Familiarity with machining, welding, fabrication, and common shop processes
• Hands‑on experience supporting manufacturing, assembly, or prototype hardware builds
• Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Capable of working in a dynamic, fast‑paced startup environment
• This position is on‑site at Inversion HQ in Playa Vista, CA.
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience designing tooling for composite manufacturing, such as layup molds, cure tools, trim and drill fixtures, or bond fixtures
• Experience designing mandrels for tape winding or filament winding, including extraction, breakdown, or collapsible features
• Familiarity with tooling materials and construction for elevated-temperature service, such as Invar, tooling board, and composite tooling
• Familiarity with vacuum bagging, oven, and autoclave processing
• Familiarity with metrology, alignment tooling, or inspection fixtures
• Experience working directly with technicians and production teams to refine tooling in use
• Experience with rapid prototyping methods and quick‑turn vendor fabrication

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 $137,000-$193,000. 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.