Staff Special Projects Engineer

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

Job summary

Inversionspace in California seeks an experienced aerospace engineer for the Special Projects team to develop hypersonic vehicle technologies. You will partner with the CTO to lead system-level designs and performance modeling, driving innovations in space logistics.

The role demands a strong background in aerospace engineering and experience with hypersonic systems. If you're passionate about solving complex problems and thrive in fast-paced environments, this is your chance to make a significant impact in the field.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in aerospace engineering, focusing on system-level design.
• Demonstrated experience with hypersonic or reentry vehicle systems.
• Strong foundation in aerodynamics and performance analysis.
• Ability to work fully onsite and adapt in ambiguous environments.

Responsibilities

• Partner with CTO to develop hypersonic vehicle concepts.
• Lead performance modeling of advanced flight systems.
• Create CAD models for proposals and design efforts.
• Translate product ideas into executable proposals.
• Build, test, and iterate on prototypes in a fast environment.
• Make technical decisions independently under uncertainty.

Skills

Flight dynamics

Aerothermodynamics

GNC (Guidance, Navigation, and Control)

Mechanical design for aerospace

Prototyping and validating hardware

First-principles reasoning

6DOF modeling

Tools

CAD software

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:

The Special Projects team at Inversion is an elite force within the Office of the CTO. It consists of highly capable engineering experts from diverse fields. The charter of this group is to tackle Inversion’s new technology developments. The Special Projects team is designed from the beginning to operate effectively within ambiguity. They will be the first to ideate, create, and deploy new products, new technologies, and new research in Inversion. Individuals in the Special Projects team will be expected to rapidly gain depth and breadth of understanding of a wide range of interdisciplinary skills and technologies that may be unfamiliar to you.

Individuals in this team are expected to rapidly gain depth and breadth across interdisciplinary domains that may be completely unfamiliar. If you require structure, a large team, or step‑by‑step direction — this is not the place for you. If you thrive on solving impossible problems, building from nothing, and refusing to accept “that can’t be done” — you’ll fit right in.

In this role, you will:

• Partner directly with the CTO to conceive, architect, and develop new hypersonic and reentry vehicle concepts and technologies.
• Lead the system‑level design and performance modeling of advanced flight systems, including trajectory analysis, GNC trade studies, and overall vehicle performance optimization.
• Create conceptual and detailed CAD models for proposed systems and subsystems as part of early‑stage proposals and design efforts.
• Translate high‑level product ideas into executable proposals that win contracts and enable new technology development within Inversion.
• Build, test, and iterate — from running 6DOF simulations to hands‑on prototyping and experimental validation — in a fast, skunkworks‑style environment.
• Operate independently, make hard technical decisions under uncertainty, and drive ideas to reality without waiting for permission or perfect data.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in aerospace engineering, with a focus on system‑level vehicle design, analysis, and integration.
• Demonstrated experience designing and modeling hypersonic, reentry, or launch vehicle systems.
• Strong foundation in flight dynamics, aerothermodynamics, GNC, and trajectory/performance analysis.
• Proficiency in CAD and mechanical design for aerospace applications.
• Proven ability to take an idea from zero to one — designing, prototyping, and validating hardware from scratch.
• A track record of self‑directed, high‑ownership work — whether through startups or projects.
• Deep first‑principles reasoning skills; ability to move fluidly between conceptual thinking and detailed engineering.
• Must be able to work fully onsite and thrive in a fast‑paced, ambiguity‑rich environment.

Desired Qualifications

• Prior experience in hypersonics, reentry systems, or rocket vehicle design and development.
• Familiarity with 6DOF modeling, simulation environments, and control system analysis.
• Background founding or being an early team member in startup teams where autonomy and execution were critical to success.
• Experience with multi‑disciplinary integration of mechanical, thermal, and aerodynamic systems.
• Demonstrated ability to rapidly prototype and test unconventional solutions.

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 $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.

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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