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Senior GNC Engineer Verified today

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

Inversion is an aerospace and defense company pioneering advanced reentry technology. Our spacecraft Arc is designed for rapid global cargo delivery, hypersonic testing, and national security missions requiring precise, controlled atmospheric flight. We design, manufacture, and integrate spacecraft under one roof in Los Angeles, backed by Y Combinator, Spark Capital, and Lockheed Martin Ventures.

The Role

As Senior GNC Engineer, you will own a substantial aspect of Guidance, Navigation, and Control that enables accurate and precise landing of Arc spacecraft. You will report directly to the Director of Engineering, Accurate Landing.

Your responsibilities include:

  • Develop novel algorithms for final landing stages of flight
  • Build modeling and simulation for rapid algorithm iteration
  • Flight test algorithms to achieve required performance
  • Define vehicle architecture and solve creative design challenges
  • Lead all aspects of GNC systems powering the world's first reentry vehicle designed as a transportation layer

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, related field, or equivalent experience
  • Typically 5+ years applicable experience developing and testing GNC algorithms and systems
  • Strong fundamental understanding of controls and estimation algorithms including Kalman filtering, sensor fusion, and state estimation
  • Solid grasp of classical mechanics, dynamics, and rigid body motion
  • Proficiency in programming languages such as MATLAB, Python, or C++ for simulation and analysis
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Capable of working in a dynamic, fast-paced startup environment
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret or Top Secret security clearance

Desired Qualifications

  • Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, related field, or equivalent experience
  • Experience with guidance and trajectory planning algorithms
  • Experience with system identification and parameter estimation for complex dynamical systems
  • Experience building code deployed to real hardware in a compute-restricted environment
  • Practical experience developing GNC for airborne vehicles
  • Hardware in the Loop (HITL) test experience

Location and Compensation

This position requires in-office presence at our Playa Vista, California headquarters. California annual base salary is $139,000-$201,000. Individual pay determined on a case-by-case basis based on role, level, location, market data, interviews, job-related skills, relevant education and experience, certifications, and internal equity.

ITAR Compliance

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, 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.