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Job Description

Overview

Inversion is an aerospace and defense company focused on advanced reentry technology for next-generation capabilities from space. The Staff Mechanisms Engineer will lead the development of mission-critical mechanisms for the reentry vehicle, Arc, ensuring seamless integration of mechanical systems.

Responsibilities

  • Design and develop flight-critical mechanisms including actuators and deployment systems from concept through flight qualification.
  • Perform detailed structural and thermal analysis using FEA and analytical methods to validate designs.
  • Develop and execute comprehensive test campaigns including functional and environmental qualification testing.
  • Create detailed engineering drawings, assembly procedures, and design specifications.
  • Work hands-on with manufacturing and integration teams to build and troubleshoot hardware.
  • Drive design reviews and present technical trade studies.
  • Coordinate with suppliers for custom component procurement.
  • Support vehicle integration activities during assembly, test, and launch operations.

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
  • 9+ years of professional experience designing and testing mechanisms for aerospace or defense applications.
  • Strong mechanical design skills with proficiency in 3D CAD software.
  • Hands-on experience with structural and thermal analysis using FEA tools.
  • Demonstrated ability designing for harsh environments including vacuum and extreme temperatures.
  • Deep understanding of mechanical systems including mechanisms and actuators.
  • Experience with environmental testing and qualification programs for spaceflight hardware.
  • Proficiency in creating detailed engineering drawings with GD&T.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Proven ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance.

Additional Information

  • The position requires in-office presence at the headquarters located in Playa Vista, CA.
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How this job compares in Los Angeles, CA

Pay in context

At roughly $92/hr, this posting sits about 87% above the $49/hr median for welding jobs in Los Angeles, CA — toward the top of a $37–$67/hr middle band drawn from 55 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 98% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. Pay that far above local median usually comes attached to something: a harder cert requirement, travel, night shift, or overtime that isn't really optional. Worth establishing which before you accept.

The local market in Los Angeles, CA

We're tracking 98 other active welding openings in Los Angeles, CA right now, from 49 different employers. 33 of them were added in the last week. Across California as a whole we're tracking 498 other active welding openings from 235 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Los Angeles, or widen the search to California.

Inversion currently has 3 other openings live in California, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in California at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are SpaceX (37), Relativity Space (17), and Welding Shop in Los Angeles, CA (13). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within California, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are El Segundo at $53/hr, Long Beach at $50/hr, and Pasadena at $50/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

Similar openings near Los Angeles, CA

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Staff Mechanisms Engineer figures were last recalculated when this page was built.