Inversion Space
Staff Mission Manager
$161K–$221K
Playa Vista, California, United States · Staff · Full-time · Posted May 8, 2026
- Experience
- Typically 8+ years; 12+ years is desired.
- Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- Visa sponsorship
- 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 for ITAR compliance.
About the job
Leads customer-facing technical and program execution for spacecraft missions from early requirements and design through integration, launch, operations, re-entry, and recovery.
What you'll do
- Lead mission execution and ensure contract requirements are met through integration, testing, launch, operations, and re-entry.
- Serve as the mission’s technical authority and coordinate engineering, production, and mission assurance teams to resolve issues and assess readiness, risks, and trade-offs.
- Support proposals and customer engagement, translating mission objectives into executable requirements and plans.
What they ask for
- Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- Typically 8+ years of direct engineering experience in launch vehicles, reentry systems, or hypersonic flight regimes, including leadership of complex aerospace projects or systems engineering blocks.
- Technical understanding of aerodynamics, aerothermal environments, high-temperature structures, or precision recovery operations; experience as the primary technical and programmatic interface to an external customer or government stakeholder.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance; strong communication skills, including authoring technical interface control documents (ICDs) and verification plans.
Nice to have
- Master’s degree in an engineering discipline.
- Experience managing complex technical acquisitions or mission integration milestones with government agencies; 12+ years of applicable aerospace experience spanning hands-on hardware development and technical leadership.
Pay
USD 161,000 - USD 221,000 annual base salary
Tools
GNC, thermal protection systems, propulsion, avionics
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative