Senior Avionics Embedded Software Engineer

Inversion is an aerospace and defense company pioneering advanced reentry technology to enable next-generation capabilities from space. By combining high-performance materials, precision aerodynamics, and mission-driven autonomy, Inversion is transforming reentry into an operational capability for an entirely new class of missions.

The company’s highly maneuverable reentry spacecraft, Arc, is designed for rapid global cargo delivery, hypersonic testing, and other national security missions that require precise, controlled flight through the atmosphere. Arc creates an entirely new transportation domain, unlocking unprecedented speed and global reach.

Headquartered in Los Angeles, Inversion designs, manufactures, and integrates its spacecraft under one roof, enabling the company to move rapidly from concept to flight. The company is backed by leading investors including Y Combinator, Spark Capital, and Lockheed Martin Ventures, with customers across the U.S. government and commercial space industry.

As a Senior Embedded Software Engineer at Inversion you will own the development, testing, and deployment of highly reliable, low-latency flight software that runs on Arc’s vehicle avionics hardware. You will design and implement safety-critical code for microcontrollers, power distribution units, flight computers, and communication systems. Operating with high autonomy, you will bridge the gap between hardware and software, debugging boundary-level issues, establishing embedded coding standards, and ensuring our flight processors execute flawlessly through extreme reentry environments. 

• →Design, develop, and maintain high-reliability, real-time embedded software in C/C++ for Arc flight computers, microcontrollers, and actuators. 
• →Architect and implement low-level device drivers for communication protocols including SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, Ethernet, and RS-422. 
• →Own embedded software modules end-to-end, from early requirements definition through testing, qualification, and vehicle-level flight operations. 
• →Bring up new avionics hardware platforms, debugging complex hardware-software boundary issues using JTAG, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and packet sniffers. 
• →Integrate and validate embedded code using software-in-the-loop (SIL) and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test environments. 
• →Perform rigorous code reviews, establish technical standards, and mentor junior embedded engineers on the team. 
• →Collaborate closely with the core Flight Software and Simulation teams to align vehicle autonomy, telemetry architectures, and GNC algorithm execution. 

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent technical experience. 
• Typically 5+ years of professional experience developing low-level embedded C/C++ software for real-time systems. 
• Hands-on experience with bare-metal microcontrollers and Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS) like FreeRTOS, RTEMS, or VxWorks. 
• Proven capability to read electrical schematics, understand datasheet registers, and debug physical hardware using laboratory instruments. 
• Experience implementing standard hardware peripheral drivers and serial communication protocols. 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. 
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance.

_{The California annual base salary for this role is currently $139,000 - $201,000.  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.}