Director of Engineering, Manufacturing

Advanced Reentry Technologies

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.

We are seeking a Director of Engineering, Manufacturing to own all manufacturing at Inversion. This leader will be responsible for the full manufacturing ecosystem across the company — including precision machining, harnessing, mechanical assembly, and parachute systems.

You will build and scale a world-class aerospace manufacturing organization that is efficient, cost-effective, quality-driven, and capable of supporting flight hardware at increasing production rates.

You will drive operational excellence, production planning, workforce scaling, capital strategy, and process optimization across all manufacturing disciplines.

This role reports directly to executive leadership and will be a core member of the company’s technical leadership team.

• •Transition programs from development to repeatable production
• •Define make vs. buy strategy across all subsystems
• •Drive capacity planning, rate readiness, and production forecasting

• •Establish lean manufacturing systems across machining, avionics, harnessing, and parachutes
• •Reduce cycle time, improve yield, and optimize throughput
• •Implement KPIs for safety, quality, cost, and delivery
• •Drive root cause analysis and corrective actions

• •Oversee precision CNC machining operations (5-axis capability)
• •Ensure alignment between manufacturing engineering and shop floor execution
• •Drive programming standards, tooling strategy, and fixture optimization

• •Implement scalable harness fabrication processes with strong QA controls
• •Improve repeatability and documentation for flight hardware

• •Develop production and inspection standards for parachute systems
• •Ensure quality and traceability for critical recovery hardware
• •Build scalable soft goods manufacturing capability

• •Build and lead a high-performing manufacturing organization
• •Develop frontline leaders and technical experts
• •Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, and urgency
• •Partner closely with Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, and Flight Operations

• •Define capital equipment strategy and facility layout
• •Support facility expansion planning
• •Implement MRP/ERP and production tracking systems

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 .