Staff Optical Engineer

United StatesOn-site

Responsibilities

Lead the development of sensor window and seeker design and analysis for Inversion flight systems.
Own the development of spectral camera systems, including architecture, component selection, integration, and performance trades.
Perform optical analyses including transmission, image quality, stray light, thermal effects, and environmental impacts on performance.
Evaluate and select lenses, detectors, coatings, optical materials, and vendor solutions to meet mission requirements.

You will lead the development of sensor windows, seeker architectures, and a variety of spectral camera systems from early trades through analysis, integration, and test.
Bachelor’s degree in Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent experience.
Experience with imaging systems. •
Experience using optical design and analysis tools such as Zemax, Code V, FRED, or equivalent software.
Strong understanding of optical materials, coatings, sensor windows, and environmental effects on optical performance. •
Proven ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment with high ownership. Desired
Master’s degree or PhD in Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related field. •
Experience with aerospace, spaceflight, hypersonic, or reentry optical systems. •
Experience with seeker design, boresight stability, MTF, radiometry, and stray light analysis. •
Experience developing and qualifying camera systems for harsh environments. •
Experience working directly with vendors to develop custom optical hardware. •
Experience supporting environmental, field, or flight test campaigns for optical systems.

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
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.
As a Staff Optical Engineer at Inversion, you will own major elements of the optical systems that enable our vehicles to sense, navigate, and perform in extreme environments.