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Salary: USD 137,000 - 193,000 / annual
Inversion Space is an aerospace and defense company pioneering advanced reentry technology. The company designs and manufactures highly maneuverable reentry spacecraft (Arc) for rapid global cargo delivery, hypersonic testing, and national security missions. Headquartered in Los Angeles and backed by Y Combinator, Spark Capital, and Lockheed Martin Ventures, Inversion integrates design, manufacturing, and integration under one roof.
As a Senior Avionics Mechanical Engineer, you will own the design, analysis, and qualification of complex electromechanical systems that operate in extreme space and atmospheric reentry environments. You will bridge electrical and mechanical disciplines to develop integrated solutions including actuators, sensors, mechanisms, avionics enclosures, and thermal management systems critical to vehicle performance and mission success.
Key Responsibilities:
- Design critical avionics mechanical systems protecting mission-critical electronics against harsh thermal and mechanical environments from initial conceptual design through qualification and flight.
- Lead mechanical design and packaging of avionics enclosures, sensor mounting systems, and harnessing routes with consideration for mass optimization, passive/active thermal management, vibration isolation, and manufacturability.
- Perform detailed structural, thermal, and electromagnetic analysis using FEA and analytical methods to validate designs against spaceflight environments.
- Develop and execute comprehensive test campaigns including functional testing, environmental qualification (vibration, shock, thermal/thermal vacuum, EMI/EMC), life cycle testing, and acceptance testing.
- Create detailed engineering drawings, assembly procedures, interface control documents (ICDs), and design specifications.
- Work hands-on with fabrication, assembly, and integration teams to build, troubleshoot, and iterate on hardware rapidly.
- Drive design reviews and present technical trade studies to inform architecture and component selection decisions.
- Collaborate with electrical engineers to optimize PCB layouts, connector selections, and cable routing for reliability and performance.
- Coordinate with suppliers and vendors for custom component procurement, ensuring adherence to schedule and technical requirements.
- Support vehicle integration activities and provide technical expertise during assembly, test, and launch operations.
You will report to the Director of Engineering, Avionics, and work closely with avionics, structures, propulsion, and GNC teams to ensure seamless integration of electromechanical assemblies into the next-generation spacecraft, Arc.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related technical discipline.
- Typically 5+ years of professional experience designing and testing electromechanical systems for aerospace, defense, or similarly demanding applications.
- Experience with PCB schematic capture and board layout using ECAD software such as Altium Designer, OrCAD, or similar.
- Strong mechanical design skills with proficiency in 3D CAD software (NX, CATIA, SolidWorks, or similar).
- Hands-on experience with structural and thermal analysis using FEA tools (Ansys, Abaqus, NASTRAN, or equivalent).
- Demonstrated ability designing for harsh environments including vacuum, extreme temperatures, vibration, shock, and radiation.
- Deep understanding of mechanical systems including mechanisms, actuators, fasteners, bearings, seals, and material properties.
- Working knowledge of electrical systems including power distribution, sensors, motor control, and basic circuit design.
- Experience with environmental testing and qualification programs for flight hardware.
- Proficiency creating detailed engineering drawings with GD&T and technical documentation.
- Strong collaboration skills and ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams.
- Proven track record of delivering hardware from concept to flight or equivalent high-stakes deployment.
- Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance.
- Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or eligible to obtain required ITAR authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
