Autonomy Systems Engineer III (Flight Rules & Fault Management) at Inversion Space

Los Angeles, California, United States

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Not SpecifiedCompensation

Senior (5 to 8 years)Experience Level

Full TimeJob Type

UnknownVisa

Aerospace, Space TransportationIndustries

Requirements

6+ years in systems engineering, mission operations, autonomy, aerospace, or robotics
Experience with mission rules, fault management, FDIR, or safety analysis
Ability to define behavior for complex systems with incomplete information
Strong communication skills across software, GNC, safety, and operations
Comfortable owning critical architecture in a small, high-trust team
Hands-on experience with git workflows and contributing to shared technical repositories

Responsibilities

Define mission rules and vehicle behavior through all phases of flight
Build and maintain the On-Board Fault Monitor structure and fault-handling logic
Create and update fault trees, hazard analyses, and autonomous response plans
Define state transitions and decision criteria for normal, off-nominal, and contingency modes
Translate program-level requirements into clear autonomy logic and testable behaviors
Collaborate with GNC, Perception, Avionics, and Flight Ops to ensure safe integrated behavior
Work with autonomy software engineers to implement mission logic and fault responses
Validate flight rules using simulation data, flight telemetry, and scenario testing
Support flight test readiness reviews and mission rehearsals

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

Systems EngineeringAutonomy SoftwareGNCFault ManagementFault TreesHazard AnalysisMission RulesState TransitionsFlight RulesSimulationTelemetry AnalysisAvionicsPerception SystemsFlight Testing

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

What experience is required for the Autonomy Systems Engineer III role?

Candidates need 6+ years in systems engineering, mission operations, autonomy, aerospace, or robotics, along with experience in mission rules, fault management, FDIR, or safety analysis.

What are the key responsibilities of this position?

You'll define mission rules and vehicle behavior, build fault monitor structures and fault-handling logic, create fault trees and hazard analyses, define state transitions, and collaborate with GNC, Perception, Avionics, and Flight Ops teams.

Is this a remote position or does it require on-site work?

This information is not specified in the job description.

What is the salary or compensation for this role?

This information is not specified in the job description.

What makes a strong candidate for this Autonomy Systems Engineer role?

Strong candidates have 6+ years of relevant experience, skills in defining behaviors for complex systems, strong communication across teams, and comfort owning critical architecture in a small, high-trust team; nice-to-haves include flight code experience in C++, Rust, or Python and familiarity with spacecraft or state machines.

Inversion Space

Develops low-cost re-entry vehicles for cargo

About Inversion Space

Inversion Space develops re-entry vehicles that are designed to return cargo and resources from space at a low cost and with high frequency. Their vehicles enable the safe return of various types of cargo from low-earth orbit and beyond, making the process of returning from space as routine as launching into it. This company serves clients in the space exploration and commercial space sectors, generating revenue through service contracts and partnerships with space agencies and private companies. Inversion Space differentiates itself by focusing on the efficiency and reliability of its re-entry solutions, which are essential for the sustainability and growth of space operations.

Torrance, CaliforniaHeadquarters

2021Year Founded

$121.6MTotal Funding

SERIES_ACompany Stage

AerospaceIndustries

51-200Employees

Risks

Competition from SpaceX and Blue Origin may limit market share.

Potential regulatory hurdles could delay operations and increase costs.

Reliance on SpaceX's Transporter-12 mission poses risk if launch issues occur.

Differentiation

Inversion Space focuses on affordable, high cadence re-entry vehicles for cargo return.

The company aims to make space return as common as space launch.

Inversion Space develops in-house technology for re-entry vehicles, enhancing cost efficiency.

Upsides

Inversion raised $44 million to advance re-entry vehicle development.

Awarded $71M by SpaceWERX for next-gen autonomous re-entry vehicles.

Growing demand for re-entry solutions aligns with Inversion's focus on affordable vehicles.

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