Advanced Reentry Technologies
Who We Are:
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.
Position Overview:
As a Manufacturing Engineer Inten at Inversion, you will report directly to the Manager of Arc Vehicle Integration & Test. In this role, you will build, integrate, and test critical subsystems for our Arc hypersonic reentry vehicle. You will support the transition of designs from the engineering team to the integration floor, develop and improve exsiting build sequences, assembly procedures, and floor tooling. You will work cross-functionally with design engineers and floor technicians to execute physical integration, troubleshoot hardware anomalies in real-time, and ensure flight hardware meets strict quality and schedule milestones.
Key Responsibilities
- Assist in developing, documenting, and improving manufacturing and assembly processes for complex mechanical and electromechanical systems.
- Create and maintain manufacturing work instructions, process documentation, and assembly procedures.
- Identify opportunities to improve manufacturing efficiency, quality, safety, and repeatability.
- Collaborate with Design Engineering to review component and assembly designs for manufacturability, assembly, and serviceability.
- Participate in design reviews and provide feedback on manufacturing constraints, tooling requirements, and assembly considerations.
- Support the transition of engineering designs into executable manufacturing processes.
- Work directly with manufacturing technicians and engineers to support hardware assembly, integration, and troubleshooting.
- Assist in identifying root causes of manufacturing issues and implementing corrective actions.
- Collect and analyze manufacturing data to identify process improvements and support engineering decisions.
- Design, build, and proof-load assembly fixtures, tooling, and ground support equipment (GSE) using CAD.
Required Qualifications
- Rising Senior in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or equivalent technical experience.
- Experience authoring detailed assembly procedures, managing build configurations, and driving floor execution.
- Experience designing tooling, fixtures, or GSE in CAD (Siemens NX or equivalent) and applying standard GD&T per ASME Y14.5.
- Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Desired Qualifications
- Experience with spacecraft, launch vehicle, or high-reliability aerospace hardware assembly.
- Experience with aerospace cleaning, bonding preparations, and cleanroom operations.
- Familiarity with high-pressure fluid systems, pyrotechnics installation, or flight avionics harnessing integration.
- Familiarity with Thermal Protection System (TPS) manufacturing processes.
Our office headquarters is located in Playa Vista, CA. This position requires in office presence for the duration of the internship.
The California annual base hourly rate for this role is currently $38-$41. 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.
Skills Required
- Rising senior pursuing Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or equivalent technical experience.
- Experience authoring detailed assembly procedures, managing build configurations, and driving floor execution.
- Experience designing tooling, fixtures, or ground support equipment in CAD, including Siemens NX or equivalent, and applying GD&T per ASME Y14.5.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Experience with spacecraft, launch vehicle, or high-reliability aerospace hardware assembly.
- Experience with aerospace cleaning, bonding preparations, and cleanroom operations.
- Familiarity with high-pressure fluid systems, pyrotechnics installation, or flight avionics harnessing integration.
- Familiarity with Thermal Protection System manufacturing processes.
Inversion Space Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Inversion Space and has not been reviewed or approved by Inversion Space.
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Parental & Family Support — Public company profiles highlight generous parental leave, indicating a formal policy for new parents. Benefit listings specifically call out parental leave as part of the offering.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Unlimited PTO is described along with flexible hours, suggesting broad latitude to take time away when needed. Roles are largely on-site due to hardware work, but day-to-day scheduling flexibility is still referenced.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Job postings consistently disclose base-pay ranges for many roles, providing upfront visibility into expected compensation. Listings show banded ranges aligned to seniority levels, aiding calibration for candidates.
Inversion Space Insights
What We Do
Inversion is developing low-cost, high cadence re-entry vehicles. Returning cargo & resources will be essential for humanity to continue to grow within low-earth orbit and beyond. We believe in a future where returning from space is as common as launching to space. Join us: https://boards.greenhouse.io/inversionspace
