{"id":705256,"url":"https://alion.io/job/inversionspace-senior-aerodynamics-engineer","title":"Senior Aerodynamics Engineer","company":{"id":678249,"name":"Inversion","domain":"inversionspace.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/inversionspace","size_band":"51-200","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":93,"open_postings":86,"ghost_share":0.035,"stale_share":0,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":81,"computed_at":"2026-11-04T06:34:25Z"}},"role":"Aerospace","role_family":"Aerospace","seniority":"senior","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Vista, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":137000,"max":193000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":193000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":5,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"C++","optional":false},{"name":"Fortran","optional":false},{"name":"MATLAB","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"Spark","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-08-13T05:21:01Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-19","last_verified_at":"2026-11-04T17:34:40Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":83,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":0,"flags":["company_stale"],"days_open":83},"description":"Advanced Reentry Technologies\nWho We Are:\n\nInversion is an aerospace and defense company pioneering advanced reentry technology to enable next-generation capabilities from space. By combining high-performance materials, precision aerodynamics, and mission-driven autonomy, Inversion is transforming reentry into an operational capability for an entirely new class of missions.\nThe company’s highly maneuverable reentry spacecraft, Arc, is designed for rapid global cargo delivery, hypersonic testing, and other national security missions that require precise, controlled flight through the atmosphere. Arc creates an entirely new transportation domain, unlocking unprecedented speed and global reach.\nHeadquartered in Los Angeles, Inversion designs, manufactures, and integrates its spacecraft under one roof, enabling the company to move rapidly from concept to flight. The company is backed by leading investors including Y Combinator, Spark Capital, and Lockheed Martin Ventures, with customers across the U.S. government and commercial space industry.\nPosition Overview:\nInversion's reentry vehicles fly from orbital velocity to a precision landing, and every design decision, simulation, etc. along the way rests on an accurate characterization of how the vehicle flies. As a Senior Aerodynamics Engineer, you will generate and database the aerodynamic characteristics of our vehicles across the full flight envelope, aggregating data from high-fidelity CFD, lower-order methods, and wind tunnel testing into database products that drive system-level simulations. In this role, you will: \nKey Responsibilities:\nDevelop and maintain aerodynamic force and moment databases spanning the full flight envelope, from hypersonic entry through terminal flight \nPredict the aerodynamic forces and moments acting on Inversion reentry vehicles using high fidelity CFD tools across their flight envelopes. \nApply lower-order tools panel codes, Newtonian aerodynamics, and handbook methods to efficiently populate the broader envelope \nAggregate data of varying fidelity into coherent database products and define associated uncertainties to drive 3-DOF and 6-DOF system-level simulations \nSupport downstream users across GNC, simulation, and mission design in applying the databases correctly \nBuild and mature the tooling and automation behind database generation and delivery \nRefine models using wind tunnel and flight-testing data \nRequired Qualifications: \nBachelor's degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent experience \nTypically, 5+ years of experience in aerodynamic analysis of aerospace vehicles (reentry, hypersonic, missile, launch, or high-performance aircraft systems) \nExperience with high-fidelity CFD analysis of compressible external flows (e.g., FUN3D, OVERFLOW, CART3D, US3D, Kestrel, or similar) \nExperience with lower-order aerodynamic prediction methods, such as panel codes and Newtonian/modified Newtonian aerodynamics \nExperience with handbook methods and empirical aerodynamic correlations \nExperience aggregating aerodynamic data from sources of varying fidelity into an overall database product used to drive vehicle simulation and design \nStrong fundamentals in compressible aerodynamics across speed regimes and in vehicle static and dynamic stability \nProficiency in programming languages like Python, MATLAB, C++, or Fortran for analysis tooling and automation \nProven ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment, including prototyping and rapid iteration of new products \nMust have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance. \nDesired Qualifications: \nMaster's or PhD in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering, or an equivalent field \nExperience with the aerodynamics of reentry, hypersonic, or lifting-body vehicles \nExperience with uncertainty quantification and the definition of aerodynamic dispersions for Monte Carlo simulation \nExperience reconciling aerodynamic models against flight test data, including aerodynamic parameter identification \nFamiliarity with Fidelity Pointwise, Link3D, or equivalent meshing software for generating high-quality meshes \nExperience with high-performance computing environments and large-scale CFD campaign automation \nExperience with wind tunnel testing, including test planning, execution, and/or data reduction \nFamiliarity with 6-DOF flight simulation as a downstream consumer of aerodynamic databases \nPrior experience working in startups and/or small independent teams \nOur office headquarters is located in Playa Vista, CA. This position requires in-office presence. \nThe California annual base salary for this role is currently $137,000-$193,000. 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. \nITAR Compliance:\nTo 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. Learn more about the ITAR here. \nEqual Employment Opportunity:\nInversion provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or disability. \nInversion collects and processes personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws. If you are a US Job Applicant see the CCPA Privacy Policy Notice for further details.","description_format":"text","description_chars":5918,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":5,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":true,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Space Services","Space Defense"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-11T03:44:23Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":36,"band":"fade","label":"Fading","p_open":1,"p_active":0.828,"p_room":0.44,"age_days":83,"expected_fill_days":81,"reasons":["conf:3","velocity","win:tail","crowd:"],"computed_at":"2026-11-04T06:34:25Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":193000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/inversionspace-senior-aerodynamics-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/inversionspace-senior-aerodynamics-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-04T18:25:41Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":28327,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-05T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":678249},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=678249"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Finversionspace-senior-aerodynamics-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Finversionspace-senior-aerodynamics-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Finversionspace-senior-aerodynamics-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/inversionspace-senior-aerodynamics-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Finversionspace-senior-aerodynamics-engineer"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":705256}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"inversionspace.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":705256},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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