Ground Test Engineer II

Who We Are: 

Eras of humanity can often be defined by a dominant transportation mode - horse drawn chariots, ocean going boats, or aircraft. These were spurred by a small group of people rigorously focused on building technology to achieve faster access to more of the world.  We seek to usher in a new era of humanity defined by universal access to the whole globe free of borders and the presence of a routine way from space to Earth. To do this, we are building highly maneuverable re-entry vehicles that can loiter in orbit before precision landing back on Earth.  

What You’ll Do:
Ground test is how Inversion builds confidence in new reentry systems before flight. As a Ground Test Engineer II, you will lead and support critical test campaigns that shape vehicle design, validate models, and retire technical risk. This role will focus on arc jet testing, wind tunnel coordination, post-test data processing, and a broad range of additional ground test activities for reentry vehicles. In this role, you will:

• Lead arc jet test campaigns from early planning through execution, post-test inspection, and data review.

• Coordinate wind tunnel testing with outside facilities, vendors, and internal engineering teams.

• Develop and own test plans, procedures, instrumentation layouts, reports, and analyses.

• Process and reduce test data to generate clear technical conclusions and actionable recommendations.

• Support additional ground test activities for reentry vehicles including subsystem, component, and integrated hardware testing.

• Coordinate logistics, schedules, facility interfaces, and hardware readiness for external test campaigns.

• Lead test operations with a high degree of safety, accountability, and responsibility.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent experience.

• 2+ years of applicable hands-on experience testing hardware systems.

• Experience with instrumentation, data acquisition, and post-test data processing.

• Experience writing test procedures, reports, and technical documentation.

• Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Capable of operating safely and effectively in fast-paced test environments.

• Capable of working in a dynamic, fast-paced startup environment.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience with arc jet, high-enthalpy, or hypersonic ground test campaigns.

• Experience coordinating or executing wind tunnel tests.

• Experience instrumenting hardware with thermocouples, pressure sensors, strain measurements, or other aerospace test sensors.

• Experience using Python, MATLAB, or similar tools for data processing and analysis.

• Experience with aerospace qualification or development testing for flight hardware.

The California annual base wage for this role is currently $106,000 - $150,000.  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 assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education and experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity. 

Our office headquarters is located in Playa Vista, CA. This position requires in office presence.