Staff Mission Design Engineer

Inversion; California (MO); On-site; USD 161,000 - 221,000; Full time

Job summary

Inversion seeks a Staff Mission Design Engineer to own the mission-level trade space for next-generation reentry vehicles. You will develop design reference missions and flight envelopes that anchor vehicle design and run performance sensitivity studies guiding critical choices.

You will collaborate with customers on constellation design and mission architecture, translate mission needs into vehicle requirements, and mentor teams across design and simulation disciplines.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in aerospace engineering or related field.
• 9+ years of mission design, trajectory analysis, or flight performance experience.
• Experience with trajectory optimization using industry-standard tools.
• Experience developing and exercising 3-DOF and 6-DOF flight simulations.
• Strong fundamentals in flight mechanics, orbital mechanics, and atmospheric entry dynamics.
• Strong fundamentals in statistical and probabilistic analysis, including Monte Carlo and dispersion analysis.
• Proficiency in Python, MATLAB, or C++ for simulation and analysis.
• Ability to obtain US government Secret/Top Secret clearance.

Responsibilities

• Develop design reference missions and flight envelopes for new vehicles.
• Lead performance sensitivity and trade studies for vehicle-level design.
• Support 3-DOF and 6-DOF Monte Carlo simulations from dispersion definition to results.
• Work directly with customers to support constellation design and mission architecture.
• Translate customer mission needs into vehicle and trajectory requirements.
• Mentor engineers across the mission design and simulation teams.

Skills

Python

MATLAB

C++

Trajectory optimization

3-DOF/6-DOF simulations

Flight mechanics

Orbital mechanics

Monte Carlo analysis

Communication skills

Customer-facing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering or related field

Tools

POST

OTIS

TAOS

Copernicus

3-DOF/6-DOF simulations tools

STK

GMAT

Job description

Turning Space into a Transportation Layer for Earth

WhoWe 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-demandlogisticsdomain. 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,operatingthrough extreme reentry conditions and landing with high precision. These systems open the door to new ways of testing, delivering, andoperatingat hypersonic speeds.

Inherentlydual-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 ofwhat'spossible in space-based defense andlogistics.

What You'll Do:

Inversion's reentry vehicles must perform across an enormous trade space — orbital insertion through hypersonic flight to precision landing. As the Staff Mission Design Engineer, you will ownthemission-level view of that trade space for our next-generation vehicles. You will develop the design reference missions and flight envelopes that anchor vehicledesign, andrun the performance sensitivity studies that guide our most consequential design choices. In this role, you will:

• Develop design reference missions and flight envelopes for new vehicles
• Lead performance sensitivity and trade studies that inform vehicle-level design decisions
• Support 3-DOF and 6-DOF Monte Carlo simulation campaigns for new vehicles, from dispersion definition through results synthesis
• Work directly with customers to support constellation design and mission architecture efforts
• Translate customer mission needs into vehicle and trajectory requirements
• Mentor engineers across the mission design and simulation teams

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, a related field, or equivalent experience
• Typically, 9+ years of experience in mission design, trajectory analysis, or flight performance for launch, reentry, hypersonic, or missile systems
• Experience with trajectory optimization using an industry-standard tool (POST, OTIS, TAOS, Copernicus, or similar)
• Experience developing and exercising 3-DOF and 6-DOF flight simulations
• Strong fundamentals in flight mechanics, orbital mechanics, and atmospheric entry dynamics
• Strong fundamentals in statistical and probabilistic analysis, including Monte Carlo and dispersion analysis
• Proficiencyin programming languages such as Python, MATLAB, or C++ for simulation and analysis
• Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills, including customer-facing work
• Proven ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment
• This position is on-site at Inversion HQ in Playa Vista, CA.
• Must have the ability to obtain andmaintaina U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience with constellation design, coverage analysis, or orbit propagation tools (e.g., STK, GMAT)
• Experience reverse engineering performance of existing vehicles
• Experience with range safety and footprint analysis (e.g., expected casualty, circular error probable) for reentry or launch systems
• Experience reconciling simulation predictions against flight test data
• Familiarity with vehicle GNC algorithms and their interaction with mission design
• Prior experience working in startups and/or small independent teams

The California annual base salary for this role is currently $161,000-$221,000. 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.

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 ITARhere .

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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