Senior Embedded Software Engineer

Turning Space into a Transportation Layer for Earth Who We Are: 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. 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. 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. What You'll Do As a Senior Embedded Software Engineer at Inversion, you will report directly to the Manager of Arc Vehicle Avionics. In this role, 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. Key Responsibilities 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. Required Qualifications 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. Desired Qualifications Experience developing software for safety-critical or high-reliability applications (e.g., aerospace, automotive, or medical devices). Familiarity with modern software development practices, including Git, unit test frameworks, static analysis tools, and CI/CD pipelines. Proficiency in Python for test automation, data analysis, and hardware scripting. Experience developing embedded software on Linux-based systems. Experience developing FPGA designs and digital logic using VHDL, Verilog, or SystemVerilog. Experience developing custom Board Support Packages (BSPs), bootloader configurations, device startup code, and hardware abstraction layers (HAL). Experience participating in electrical schematic reviews and collaborating closely with hardware engineers to guide board-level design. Experience leading PCB bring-up, design verification testing (DVT), hardware qualification, and transition to production. Prior experience in a fast-paced aerospace startup or small hardware integration team. 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 $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. 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. 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