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.
What You’ll Do:
As a Parachute Engineer II at Inversion, you will play a critical role in the design, functionality, and performance of our next-generation reentry vehicles. This is a unique opportunity to work on the early stages of vehicle design, including defining vehicle architecture and creatively solving new design challenges. You will be a key member of the Accurate Landing Team, reporting directly to the Director of Engineering, Accurate Landing. In this role, you will:
- Develop and own a variety of parachute systems from concept to manufacture.
- Work with customers to develop and satisfy design requirements.
- Support testing and design of Arc’s parachute and deployment systems.
- Lead and support a variety of parachute and parachute-adjacent hardware, mechanisms, and/or systems.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, a related field, or equivalent experience.
- Typically, 2+ years of parachute design experience with significant project ownership.
- Strong engineering design fundamentals.
- Experienced in relevant textile design, including sewing, rigging, and hardware testing.
- Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Capable of working in a dynamic, fast-paced startup environment.
- Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance.
Desired Qualifications:
- Experience with relevant CAD and design software (may include GliderPlan, Openglider, LEparagliding, AutoCAD, NX, etc.).
- Experience organizing and executing drop tests or other types of tests.
- Active US security clearance or the ability to obtain security clearance
- USPA Class A Sport Parachute license or equivalent.
- FAA Senior Rigger Certification.
- Mechanical and/or pyrotechnic system design experience.
- Joint precision airdrop system (JPADS) design and testing experience.
- Knowledge of simulation-based wing modeling, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and/or wind tunnel testing.
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 $106,000 - $150,000. 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.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, a related field, or equivalent experience
- Typically 2+ years of parachute design experience with significant project ownership
- Strong engineering design fundamentals
- Experience in relevant textile design, including sewing, rigging, and hardware testing
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to work in a dynamic, fast-paced startup environment
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret or Top Secret security clearance
- Experience with relevant CAD and design software, such as GliderPlan, OpenGlider, LEparagliding, AutoCAD, or NX
- Experience organizing and executing drop tests or other tests
- Active U.S. security clearance or ability to obtain one
- USPA Class A Sport Parachute license or equivalent
- FAA Senior Rigger Certification
- Mechanical and/or pyrotechnic system design experience
- Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS) design and testing experience
- Knowledge of simulation-based wing modeling, computational fluid dynamics, and/or wind tunnel testing
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
