Staff Special Projects Engineer

United StatesOn-site

Responsibilities

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.
Build, test, and iterate — from running 6DOF simulations to hands-on prototyping and experimental validation — in a fast, skunkworks-style environment.
A track record of self-directed, high-ownership work — whether through startups or projects.

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.
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.
Must be able to work fully onsite and thrive in a fast-paced, ambiguity-rich environment. Desired
experience in hypersonics, reentry systems, or rocket vehicle design and development.
Familiarity with 6DOF modeling, simulation environments, and control system analysis.
Experience with multi-disciplinary integration of mechanical, thermal, and aerodynamic systems.
Demonstrated ability to rapidly prototype and test unconventional solutions.

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.

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.
The Special Projects team at Inversion is an elite force within the Office of the CTO.