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Ground Software Engineer II, Arc Vehicle Verified today

Inversion Space · Playa Vista, CA · Software · first seen 2026-07-16
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About Inversion Space

Inversion is an aerospace and defense company pioneering advanced reentry technology. The company designs, manufactures, and integrates spacecraft under one roof in Los Angeles. Arc is a highly maneuverable reentry spacecraft designed for rapid global cargo delivery, hypersonic testing, and national security missions that require precise, controlled flight through the atmosphere.

The Role

As a Ground Software Engineer II, you will build, integrate, and test the mission control software, real-time telemetry processing pipelines, and data visualization tools required to operate and monitor the Arc vehicle. You will own the development of user interfaces and backend applications used in both test and operations.

Key Responsibilities

  • Design, develop, and maintain the backend architectures, telemetry parsers, and command pipelines that support ground operations and flight tests.
  • Build highly reliable, low-latency operator displays and data visualization interfaces used during vehicle testing and missions.
  • Develop, package, and deploy automated software tools to orchestrate and monitor Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) and Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) simulation runs.
  • Define and implement communication protocol structures, serialization standards, and data definitions (e.g., JSON, Protobuf, YAML) between flight and ground hardware.
  • Build and maintain high-rate time-series databases and data storage solutions for rapid post-test analysis and archive searching.
  • Integrate ground station software interfaces to manage uplink and downlink RF hardware, tracking antennas, and network routing.
  • Provide direct, real-time software support during integrated vehicle testing, troubleshooting networking or command-and-control drops.

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent technical experience.
  • Typically 2+ years of professional experience developing software, with a focus on ground control systems, telemetry pipelines, or distributed systems.
  • Proficiency in Rust and Linux environment.
  • Experience working with network communication protocols (such as TCP, UDP, and WebSockets).
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to coordinate across software and hardware teams.
  • Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance.

Desired Qualifications

  • Experience working in full-stack software development.
  • Familiarity with existing aerospace mission control and ground software frameworks (such as COSMOS, Open MCT, Yamcs, or similar).
  • Experience with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) and modern DevOps practices (GitLab CI, GitHub Actions).
  • Familiarity with RF communication systems, satellite link characteristics, or digital signal processing.
  • Prior experience working in startups and/or small independent engineering teams.

Location and Compensation

This position requires in-office presence at Inversion's headquarters in Playa Vista, California. The California annual base salary for this role is $101,000 to $160,000. Individual pay will be determined based on interviews, job-related skills, relevant education and experience, certifications, and internal equity considerations.

ITAR Compliance

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), you 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 the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.