Mechanical Engineer II

Who We Are:

Eras of humanity can often be defined by a dominant transportation mode - horse drawn chariots, ocean going boats, or aircraft. These were spurred by a small group of people rigorously focused on building technology to achieve faster access to more of the world. We seek to usher in a new era of humanity defined by universal access to the whole globe free of borders and the presence of a routine way from space to Earth. To do this, we are building highly maneuverable re-entry vehicles that can loiter in orbit before precision landing back on Earth.

What You’ll Do:

As a Mechanical Engineer at Inversion, you will have an instrumental impact on the functionality and performance of our next-generation reentry vehicles. You will own a substantial aspect of the mechanical engineering systems that enable the accurate and precise landing of our Arc spacecraft. Aspects of this work include developing mechanical systems and mechanisms for parachute deployment, control actuation, drop test structures and fixtures, and associated loads analysis. You will test high-performance accurate landing and recovery systems through aerial drop test campaigns, and qualify your designs through environmental testing, including vibration, shock, and thermal testing. This is a unique opportunity to work on the early stages of a novel reentry vehicle, including defining vehicle architecture and creatively solving new design challenges. Your contributions will directly impact the world’s first reentry vehicle designed for turning space into a transportation layer for Earth. You will be a key member of the Accurate Landing team, reporting directly to the Director of Engineering, Accurate Landing. 

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum of bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or related field OR equivalent experience.

• Typically, 3+ years of applicable hands-on experience developing mechanical systems and mechanisms.

• Strong practical mechanical design skills related to mechanisms, packaging, high load environments, and user interface.

• High familiarity with CAD software, such as Siemens NX.

• Experience producing engineering drawings and applying standard dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) per ASME Y14.5.

• Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Capable of working in a dynamic, fast-paced startup environment.

• This position is on-site at Inversion HQ in Playa Vista, CA.

Desired Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or related field.

• Demonstrated history of mechanical design product ownership from cradle to grave.

• Experience with vehicle-level flight test campaigns and hardware qualification.

• Experience with parachutes and airborne systems.

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 $109,000 -$128,000 USD. 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.