Inversion

Inversion

Senior Antenna Engineer

Playa Vista, California, United States · Senior

Work authorization required$161k-$221kDetected 8 days ago
PythonMATLABSparkCybersecurityComplianceLogisticsAvionicsEMI/EMCMIL-STDDO-160Systems EngineeringElectrical EngineeringRF EngineeringLeadershipCommunication

About the role

  • These systems open the door to new ways of testing, delivering, and operating at hypersonic speeds.
  • Inherently dual-use, our technology is built to meet urgent national security needs while laying the groundwork for future commercial applications.
  • You will be a key member of the Avionics team, reporting directly to the Director of Engineering, Avionics.

Responsibilities

  • As a Senior Antenna Engineer, you will lead the design, analysis, integration, and validation of antenna systems supporting Inversion's next-generation re-entry vehicles.
  • You will work within the Avionics team to develop high-performance antenna solutions for flight and ground applications, owning antenna development from requirements capture and EM simulation through prototyping, installed performance evaluation, and mission-readiness testing.
  • This role is ideal for an experienced engineer with deep expertise in antenna design and electromagnetic analysis, and with strong judgment in translating system-level communication and vehicle constraints into robust antenna solutions.
  • You will help develop critical hardware and systems for cutting-edge maneuverable reentry vehicles - advancing one of the most capable reentry vehicle platforms ever developed.
  • You will be a key member of the Avionics team, reporting directly to the Director of Engineering, Avionics. Our engineers are responsible for the complete lifecycle of the hardware they create, including design, analysis, prototyping, test, and integration.
  • Lead antenna design, simulation, and placement activities for flight and ground communication systems.
  • Capture antenna requirements and perform supporting electromagnetic simulation and analysis to meet system-level performance needs.
  • Develop antenna concepts and trade studies across gain, bandwidth, efficiency, polarization, impedance matching, size, placement, and environmental constraints.
  • Perform antenna measurements including impedance, return loss, radiation pattern, gain, efficiency, and polarization using anechoic chamber, near-field, and far-field test methods.
  • Support integration of antennas with RF front-end hardware, vehicle structures, radomes, thermal systems, and other avionics subsystems.

Requirements

  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field with RF/EM focus.
  • Strong R&D experience in RF and antenna systems.
  • Deep knowledge of aperture antennas, impedance matching, Smith chart usage, polarization, bandwidth, and RF front-end interactions.
  • Proficiency with antenna modeling and electromagnetic simulation tools such as HFSS, CST, FEKO, or similar.
  • Experience with antenna prototyping methods and fabrication approaches.
  • Experience with antenna measurement techniques including anechoic chamber, near-field, and far-field testing.
  • Strong understanding of installed antenna performance, coupling effects, and interaction with surrounding structures.
  • Experience designing antennas for aerospace vehicles, spacecraft, missiles, aircraft, or other highly integrated platforms.
  • Familiarity with S-band, L-band, or other telemetry and communications frequency bands relevant to flight systems.
  • Experience with vehicle-level RF analysis and link budget support.
  • Familiarity with aerospace and defense qualification standards such as MIL-STD-461/810, DO-160, SMC-S-016, or similar frameworks.
  • Experience developing custom analysis scripts or tools in Python or MATLAB to support EM post-processing, optimization, or test data reduction.
  • Experience in startup environments or small, highly collaborative engineering teams.

Compensation

  • The California annual base salary for this role is currently $137,000 - $193,000.

Company info

  • Inversion builds advanced reentry systems to deliver next-generation capabilities from space.
  • Our mission is to make Earth radically more accessible by turning Low-Earth Orbit into an on-demand logistics domain.
  • We see space not as a destination, but as a platform - one that unlocks unprecedented speed and global reach.
  • Our spacecraft are designed to deliver payloads anywhere on Earth in under an hour, operating through extreme reentry conditions and landing with high precision.
  • Backed by leading investors including Y Combinator, Spark Capital, and Lockheed Martin Ventures, and working with partners such as the U.S. Space Force and NASA, Inversion is pushing the boundaries of what's possible in space-based defense and logistics.
  • Our engineers are responsible for the complete lifecycle of the hardware they create, including design, analysis, prototyping, test, and integration.
  • Essential Duties and

Equal 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.

Visa & Work Authorization

  • security clearance up to Top Secret
Apply directly at Inversion →Create a free account for alerts like thisView Inversion immigration profile

This listing is sourced directly from Inversion's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.