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Parachute Systems Engineer

Playa Vista, California, United States

Turning Space into a Transportation Layer for Earth

Who We Are:

Eras of humanity can often be defined by a dominate 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: 

As a Parachute System Engineer, you will be the responsible engineer for a variety of parachute systems and related hardware. You will lead decelerator projects from cradle to grave, including conceptual design, testing, and manufacture. You will also support the development of other mechanical systems on the Arc spacecraft. 

  • Develop and own a variety of parachute systems from concept to manufacture 
  • Work with customers to develop and satisfy design requirements 
  • Support testing and design of Arc’s parachute and deployment systems 
  • Lead and support a variety of parachute and parachute-adjacent hardware, mechanisms, and/or systems 

Required Qualifications: 

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent experience in a relevant field 
  • 3+ years of parachute design experience with significant project ownership 
  • 5+ years professional engineering design experience 
  • Self-sufficiency in parachute design 
  • Experience organizing and executing drop tests 
  • Experience designing a variety of mechanical systems 
  • Sewing experience 
  • Rigging experience 
  • Relevant CAD experience (NX, SolidWorks, AutoCAD, etc.)  
  • This position requires onsite presence fulltime in our Playa Vista, CA headquarters. 

Desired Qualifications: 

  • Avionics and electrical system design experience 
  • Active US security clearance or the ability to obtain security clearance 
  • United States Parachute Association (USPA) A-License or higher 
  • FAA Rigger Certification 
  • Heavy cargo airdrop experience 
  • Wind tunnel testing experience 
  • Pyrotechnic system design

The California annual base salary for this role is currently $120,000-150,000.  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. 

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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. Learn more about the ITAR here.  
 
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Inversion 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.  
 
Inversion 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.

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