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Senior Propulsion and Energetics Thermofluids Engineer Verified today

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

Inversion is an aerospace and defense company pioneering advanced reentry technology. The company designs and manufactures its maneuverable reentry spacecraft, Arc, for rapid global cargo delivery, hypersonic testing, and national security missions. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Inversion integrates all design, manufacturing, and integration in-house to move rapidly from concept to flight.

The Role

You will report to the Head of Test, Propulsion and Energetics as the primary technical authority on vacuum chamber systems for a hypersonic plasma wind tunnel. You will design and develop mechanical structures and devices to activate the vacuum system and heat exchanger systems for a high-energy test bed that expands Inversion's depth in hypersonic and reentry material testing.

Key Responsibilities

  • Lead design and development of vacuum chamber and heat exchanger cooling systems for the high-energy plasma test environment, including detailed mechanical design with executable drawings and technical specifications.
  • Conduct thorough thermal and fluid analyses on industrial-scale equipment.
  • Lead high-fidelity transient thermal analysis including 3D conjugate heat transfer (CHT) modeling, aerodynamic heating boundary conditions, and internal radiative and conductive heat transfer.
  • Drive design trades across performance, manufacturability, schedule, and cost.
  • Own sizing, selection, and structural interface design between the test facility and thermal protection systems (TPS) and internal insulation materials.
  • Own CAD models, drawings, release packages, and bill of materials for prototype and flight-like hardware.
  • Support prototype design, hands-on integration, fit checks, and issue resolution during build.
  • Provide mechanical tooling and mechanism design bandwidth for test activities as needed.
  • Work closely with vehicle, manufacturing, test, supply chain, and technician teams to bring designs from concept through fabrication and integration.
  • Partner with outside vendors and suppliers to source parts, review manufacturability, and accelerate development.

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent technical experience.
  • 5 or more years of experience in thermal design, modeling, and analysis of high-temperature systems.
  • Strong practical mechanical design skills related to industrial systems, mechanisms, high thermal-load systems, and user interfaces.
  • High familiarity with CAD software such as Siemens NX.
  • Experience producing engineering drawings and applying standard dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) per ASME Y14.5.
  • Expertise in industry-standard thermal analysis software such as Thermal Desktop, ANSYS Thermal, or equivalent tools.
  • Strong foundational knowledge of multi-physics heat transfer (conduction, radiation, high-speed convection) and thermodynamics.
  • Demonstrated experience taking complex thermal systems through the complete lifecycle from conceptual design through hardware testing.
  • Proven ability to operate independently, make high-consequence technical decisions under uncertainty, and establish company-wide technical standards.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret or Top Secret security clearance.

Desired Qualifications

  • Master's or Ph.D. in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering with focus on heat transfer, fluid dynamics, or thermodynamics.
  • Direct experience designing or operating large-scale vacuum systems.
  • Direct experience with industrial facility mechanical design and process engineering.
  • Direct experience modeling aerothermal hypersonic environments, plasma interactions, or conjugate heat transfer (CHT) coupled with CFD solvers.
  • Experience supporting prototype builds and rapid design iteration in a hardware-rich environment.
  • Experience designing tooling, fixtures, or support equipment for integration and test.
  • Experience using hand calculations or FEA to inform mechanical design decisions.
  • Prior experience working in startups or small independent 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 currently $137,000 to $193,000. Pay is determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis considering interviews, job-related skills, relevant education and experience, certifications, and internal equity.

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.