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Software Engineer III (Ground Software)

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. 

Position Overview:

As a Ground Software Engineer at Inversion, you will have an instrumental impact on the interface and operation of our next-generation reentry vehicles. You will build software components and UI applications essential to the command and control of space vehicles. Working directly with Flight Software, Avionics, and Simulation teams, this role is responsible for delivering reliable, robust tools to direct and monitor the device on-mission. The result of this work is essential in enabling the world’s first reentry vehicle designed for turning space into a transportation layer for Earth. You will be a key member of the Processing Core team, reporting directly to the Director of Engineering, Processing Core. 

Key Responsibilities:

This role is all-encompassing, and includes the complete development cycle from ground testing to mission operations: 

  • Develop intuitive software that enables real-time operation of space vehicles
  • Design command and control systems
  • Create simulations to validate system operation
  • Assist with the growth and development of the software organization, including conducting interviews and mentoring/onboarding other engineers and interns 

Required Qualifications:

  • 6+ years of direct, hands-on experience designing and implementing flight software or ground software with a Bachelor’s degree in physics, math, computer science, or similar field
  • Strong coding skills in C or C++
  • Efficient communication and collaboration skills
  • Solid understanding of network concepts
  • Experience deploying software at scale
  • Knowledge of Agile principles including planning/backlog tools (e.g., JIRA)
  • Ability to utilize scripting languages: e.g., Python
  • An innovative and optimistic approach to your work in a dynamic and uncertain environment!
  • Our office headquarters is located in Playa Vista, CA, and this position requires you to work onsite

Desired Qualifications:

  • Experience developing and deploying mission critical software
  • Familiarity working with avionics or space companies
  • Integrating live time-series data into UI
  • Working knowledge of RF in terms of ground-based communications systems
  • Understanding of CI/CD pipelines
  • 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 $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. 

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.  
 
Equal Employment Opportunity:
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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