Staff Avionics Engineer

Position Overview:

As a Staff Avionics Engineer, you will be personally responsible for the architecture and implementation of the core compute elements for Inversion’s next-generation vehicles. Aspects of this work will include system design, interface definition, component selection, high reliability strategy, circuit implementation, and testing/verification of the flight computer and other compute systems and platforms. You will be a key member of the Avionics team, reporting directly to the Director of Engineering, Avionics. 

Key Responsibilities: 

Our engineers are responsible for the complete lifecycle of the hardware they create, including development, testing, and support. 

• Testing, qualification, and integration of spacecraft hardware for our upcoming spacecraft, Arc. 
• Create and lead clean sheet design and analyses of flight hardware from component design through integration and testing. 
• Develop, lead, and own digital, analog, and mixed-signal circuit avionic designs, and rugged electronic hardware assemblies throughout the product life cycle. 
• Qualify your designs through environmental testing including vibration, shock, thermal, and thermal vacuum testing. 
• Will lead and present on trade studies to shape the architecture and design.
• Assist in architecting flight software. 

Required Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field. 
• 8+ years of professional experience of the design, build, and test cycle for satellite, spacecraft, or launch vehicle compute electronics.
• Execute thorough mixed signal and digital circuit simulations.
• Experience designing PCBAs using Altium Designer or other equivalent ECAD design software. 
• Experience implementing mixed-signal PCBs with digital communications (UART, I2C, SPI, RS422, RS485, CAN, PCIe, Ethernet, Spacewire, PCIe, etc.). 
• Experience implementing advanced microprocessors/FPGAs and support structures, including DRAM, power distribution, clock generators, NAND flash, DDR, and other peripherals. 
• Design, route, and analyze high-speed signals on printed circuit boards with experience using Hyperlynx (or equivalent) signal integrity analysis software, ensuring compliance with industry standards and performance specifications.
• Experience designing fault-tolerant and failover-capable electronics. 
• Strong understanding and experience with requirements, systems design, and test methods for space, launch, and/or reentry environments including thermal, vibration, shock, EMI/EMC, and radiation. 
• Experience using common laboratory equipment such as oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies, spectrum analyzers, and data acquisition systems. 
• Proven track record of delivering high visibility designs resulting from rigorous methodology.
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance.

Desired Qualifications: 

• Experience designing high-reliability and/or safety-critical systems i.e. for spacecraft or automotive applications. 
• Experience designing radiation-hardened or rad-tolerant systems. 
• Familiarity with the unique design requirements of long-duration orbital missions. 
• Familiarity working with common spacecraft ADCS sensors and propulsion components (star trackers, reaction wheels, thermocouples, resistance temperature detectors (RTDs), pressure transducers, solenoid valves, etc.). 
• Hands-on vehicle integration and troubleshooting experience.
• Experience with Hyperlynx.
• Prior experience working in startups and small independent teams. 

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 $161,000 - $221,000.  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.}