Test Engineer II (Accurate Landing)

Inversion Space Company; California (MO); On-site; USD 106,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Inversion seeks a Test Engineer to shape the design, functionality, and performance of our next-generation reentry vehicles. You will contribute to early-stage vehicle architecture and tackle new design challenges within the Accurate Landing Team, reporting to the Director of Engineering, Accurate Landing.

You will test high-performance landing and recovery systems, develop test equipment and procedures, and coordinate flight test days with external vendors, ensuring safety and accountability in

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering or equivalent experience.
• 2+ years of hands-on experience testing hardware systems.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work in a dynamic startup environment and obtain security clearance.

Responsibilities

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

Skills

Test Engineering

Security Clearance

Aerospace Engineering

Ground/Test Equipment

Communication Skills

Education

Bachelor's in Aerospace/Mechanical

Tools

Test Equipment Development

Job description

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 theearly stagesof vehicle design, including defining vehicle architecture and creatively solvingnew designchallenges. 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 thelogisticsof 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 inPlaya 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.

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 .

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.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Inversion’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.