Senior Test Engineer

Turning Space into a Transportation Layer for Earth Who We Are: Inversion builds advanced reentry systems to deliver next-generation capabilities from space. Our mission is to make Earth radically more accessible by turning Low-Earth Orbit into an on-demand logistics domain. We see space not as a destination, but as a platform — one that unlocks unprecedented speed and global reach. Our spacecraft are designed to deliver payloads anywhere on Earth in under an hour, operating through extreme reentry conditions and landing with high precision. These systems open the door to new ways of testing, delivering, and operating at hypersonic speeds. Inherently dual-use, our technology is built to meet urgent national security needs while laying the groundwork for future commercial applications. Backed by leading investors including Y Combinator, Spark Capital, and Lockheed Martin Ventures, and working with partners such as the U.S. Space Force and NASA, Inversion is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in space-based defense and logistics. What You'll Do   As a  Senior Test Engineer  at Inversion, you will own the planning and execution of critical mechanical test campaign s  for one of the most capable reentry vehicles ever developed.  You’ll  lead testing from early  component  and subsystem development through   integrated demonstration, working closely with design, analysis, manufacturing, and external test partners to retire risk and  validate  system performance.   This is a unique opportunity to build and lead high-consequence mechanical test campaign s  for a new aerospace vehicle from early development through qualification and production. You will be a key member of the  Mechanical  team, reporting to the  Director of Mechanical.   Key Responsibilities   Own the planning and execution of  component, subsystem, and system-level test campaigns  supporting deployment and separation mechanism development   Lead complex test campaigns to demonstrate system performance under representative environments   Develop  test plans, procedures, success criteria, and test readiness documentation  for mechanical development and validation activities   Coordinate closely with  external test facilities and vendors  to define test requirements, facility interfaces, schedules, constraints, and execution plans   Design and develop  test fixtures, adapters, support equipment, and other GSE  required to safely and effectively execute testing   Partner with structures, mechanisms, dynamics, and manufacturing engineers to ensure test articles, fixtures, and instrumentation support key technical objectives   Define  instrumentation and data collection needs  in collaboration with internal and external partners to ensure test results can validate performance and inform model correlation   Drive test campaign logistics including  hardware readiness, facility integration, procedural development, configuration tracking, and execution coordination   Lead troubleshooting and issue resolution during test preparation and execution, and drive rapid turnaround on test learnings into follow-on hardware or procedures   Author test reports and communicate results, risks, and recommended next steps in  design reviews and cross-functional program forums   Required Qualifications   Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent technical experience   Typically  5+ years of professional experience  in development testing, qualification testing, or mechanical system test engineering for aerospace, defense, or similarly demanding applications   Experience developing and executing  component and subsystem-level test campaigns  for mechanical hardware   Experience writing  test plans, procedures, test readiness documentation, and post-test reports   Experience designing  test fixtures, adapters, tooling, or ground support equipment  for mechanical or aerospace hardware   Strong understanding of mechanical systems, including structures, mechanisms, interfaces, and hardware integration   Experience coordinating with  external test facilities, vendors, or suppliers  to execute complex test programs   Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally with design, analysis, manufacturing, and program teams to drive tests from concept through execution   Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills   Proven ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment   Desired Qualifications   Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience   Experience owning complex  mechanism, deployment, or separation system  test campaigns from early development through integrated demonstration   Experience testing hardware in  high-dynamic, high-shock, vibration, or transient mechanical environments   Experience supporting correlation of test results to  loads, structural dynamics, or multibody dynamics models   Experience developing and executing tests for  qualified flight hardware   Experience with instrumentation planning, sensor selection, data acquisition coordination, and extraction of design-relevant test data   Experience supporting rapid hardware iteration and test-driven development in a hardware-rich environment   Experience working with  external government, commercial, or specialized test facilities   Experience using CAD tools to design test fixtures, support equipment, or integration hardware 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 $137,000 - $193,000.  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 assessmen