Test Engineer II (Accurate Landing)

Inversionspace; California (MO); On-site; USD 106,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Inversion is seeking a Test Engineer to contribute to the design, functionality, and performance of our next-generation reentry vehicles. You will be a key member of the Accurate Landing Team, reporting to the Director of Engineering, Accurate Landing, and will work on early-stage vehicle design.

The role requires hands-on testing of high-performance landing systems, developing test equipment, and coordinating flight test campaigns.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering or equivalent.
• Typically 2+ years hands-on hardware testing experience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to obtain and maintain US Secret/Top Secret clearance.

Responsibilities

• Test high-performance landing and recovery systems through ground and flight campaigns.
• Develop and own test equipment, procedures, reports, and analyses.
• Coordinate flight test days logistics and recovery.
• Coordinate test activities with external vendors and suppliers.
• Lead test operations with safety, accountability, and responsibility.

Skills

Communication skills

Test engineering

Hardware testing

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering or Mechanical Engineering

Master’s degree (preferred)

Job description

Advanced Reentry Technologies

Inversion is an aerospace and defense company pioneering advanced reentry technology to enable next-generation capabilities from space. By combining high-performance materials, precision aerodynamics, and mission-driven autonomy, Inversion is transforming reentry into an operational capability for an entirely new class of missions.

The company’s highly maneuverable reentry spacecraft, Arc, is designed for rapid global cargo delivery, hypersonic testing, and other national security missions that require precise, controlled flight through the atmosphere. Arc creates an entirely new transportation domain, unlocking unprecedented speed and global reach.

Headquartered in Los Angeles, Inversion designs, manufactures, and integrates its spacecraft under one roof, enabling the company to move rapidly from concept to flight. The company is backed by leading investors including Y Combinator, Spark Capital, and Lockheed Martin Ventures, with customers across the U.S. government and commercial space industry.

What You’ll Do:

As a Test Engineer at Inversion, you will play a critical role in the design, functionality, and performance of our next-generation reentry vehicles. This is a unique opportunity to work on the early stages of vehicle design, including defining vehicle architecture and creatively solving new design challenges. You will be a key member of the Accurate Landing Team, reporting directly to the Director of Engineering, Accurate Landing. In this role, you will:

• Test high-performanceaccuratelanding and recovery systems through ground test and aerial drop test campaigns.
• Develop and own relevant test equipment, procedures,reportsand analyses.
• Coordinate and lead the logistics of flight test days and recovery.
• Coordinate test activities with external vendors and suppliers.
• Lead test operations with a high degree of safety, accountability, and responsibility.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Typically2+ years of applicable hands-on experience testing hardware systems.
• Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Capable of working in a dynamic, fast-paced startup environment.
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance.

Desired Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Demonstrated history of test campaign ownership from cradle to grave.
• Experience with vehicle-level flight test campaigns and hardware qualification.
• Experience testing parachutes and airborne systems.

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

The California annual base salary for this role is currently $106,000-150,000.

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.