Inversion Space
Senior Propulsion Development Engineer
$137K–$193K
Playa Vista, California, United States · Senior · Full-time · Posted Aug 18, 2026
- Experience
- Typically 5+ years; no alternative stated.
- Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent technical experience.
- Visa sponsorship
- To conform to ITAR, must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
About the job
Designs, builds, integrates, and tests propulsion systems and components for Inversion’s Arc hypersonic reentry vehicle.
What you'll do
- Design and analyze ACS thrusters, fluid feed systems, and high-pressure fluid networks, including mechanical designs and fluid line routing.
- Lead fabrication, integration, and troubleshooting of propulsion hardware; write test plans, procedures, and reports and lead hot-fire campaigns.
- Work with cross-functional teams to integrate propulsion hardware and verify performance against mission requirements.
What they ask for
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent technical experience.
- Typically 5+ years of hands-on experience designing, building, and testing high-pressure fluid or rocket/spacecraft propulsion systems.
- CAD expertise (Siemens NX or equivalent), plus a strong foundation in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, structural mechanics, and materials compatibility.
- Hands-on experience with high-pressure fluid components, plumbing, and pneumatic systems; ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance.
Nice to have
- Direct experience with spacecraft ACS, cold-gas, warm-gas, or monopropellant/bipropellant thrusters; familiarity with high-pressure gas operations and safety-critical hazard controls.
- Experience with ANSYS Mechanical or equivalent FEA software, Python, MATLAB, or GFSSP; propulsion acceptance or qualification testing; or work on a fast-paced aerospace startup or hardware team.
Pay
$137,000 - $193,000 USD annual base salary
Tools
Siemens NX, ANSYS Mechanical, Python, MATLAB, GFSSP, SMC-S-016, GSFC-STD-7000A
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative