Design Engineer Jobs in Los Angeles, CA
Design Engineer jobs in Los Angeles are concentrated in aerospace, consumer electronics, and entertainment technology, with hiring hubs in El Segundo, Torrance, and the Westside corridor. Employers hiring right now include K2 Space, MACH INDUSTRIES, and Northrop Grumman. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Advanced Reentry Technologies
Who We Are:
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.
Position Overview:
Inversion's reentry vehicles must perform across an enormous trade space — orbital insertion through hypersonic flight to precision landing. As the Staff Mission Design Engineer, you will own the mission-level view of that trade space for our next-generation vehicles. You will develop the design reference missions and flight envelopes that anchor vehicle design, and run the performance sensitivity studies that guide our most consequential design choices.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop design reference missions and flight envelopes for new vehicles.
- Lead performance sensitivity and trade studies that inform vehicle-level design decisions.
- Support 3-DOF and 6-DOF Monte Carlo simulation campaigns for new vehicles, from dispersion definition through results synthesis.
- Work directly with customers to support constellation design and mission architecture efforts.
- Translate customer mission needs into vehicle and trajectory requirements.
- Mentor engineers across the mission design and simulation teams.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, a related field, or equivalent experience.
- Typically, 9+ years of experience in mission design, trajectory analysis, or flight performance for launch, reentry, hypersonic, or missile systems.
- Experience with trajectory optimization using an industry-standard tool (POST, OTIS, TAOS, Copernicus, or similar).
- Experience developing and exercising 3-DOF and 6-DOF flight simulations.
- Strong fundamentals in flight mechanics, orbital mechanics, and atmospheric entry dynamics.
- Strong fundamentals in statistical and probabilistic analysis, including Monte Carlo and dispersion analysis.
- Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, MATLAB, or C++ for simulation and analysis.
- Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills, including customer-facing work.
- Proven ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment.
- Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance.
Desired Qualifications:
- Experience with constellation design, coverage analysis, or orbit propagation tools (e.g., STK, GMAT).
- Experience reverse engineering performance of existing vehicles.
- Experience with range safety and footprint analysis (e.g., expected casualty, circular error probable) for reentry or launch systems.
- Experience reconciling simulation predictions against flight test data.
- Familiarity with vehicle GNC algorithms and their interaction with mission design.
- Prior experience working in startups and/or small independent teams.
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 $161,000-$221,000. 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.
Advanced Reentry Technologies
Who We Are:
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.
Position Overview:
Inversion's reentry vehicles must perform across an enormous trade space — orbital insertion through hypersonic flight to precision landing. As the Staff Mission Design Engineer, you will own the mission-level view of that trade space for our next-generation vehicles. You will develop the design reference missions and flight envelopes that anchor vehicle design, and run the performance sensitivity studies that guide our most consequential design choices.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop design reference missions and flight envelopes for new vehicles.
- Lead performance sensitivity and trade studies that inform vehicle-level design decisions.
- Support 3-DOF and 6-DOF Monte Carlo simulation campaigns for new vehicles, from dispersion definition through results synthesis.
- Work directly with customers to support constellation design and mission architecture efforts.
- Translate customer mission needs into vehicle and trajectory requirements.
- Mentor engineers across the mission design and simulation teams.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, a related field, or equivalent experience.
- Typically, 9+ years of experience in mission design, trajectory analysis, or flight performance for launch, reentry, hypersonic, or missile systems.
- Experience with trajectory optimization using an industry-standard tool (POST, OTIS, TAOS, Copernicus, or similar).
- Experience developing and exercising 3-DOF and 6-DOF flight simulations.
- Strong fundamentals in flight mechanics, orbital mechanics, and atmospheric entry dynamics.
- Strong fundamentals in statistical and probabilistic analysis, including Monte Carlo and dispersion analysis.
- Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, MATLAB, or C++ for simulation and analysis.
- Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills, including customer-facing work.
- Proven ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment.
- Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government Secret/Top Secret security clearance.
Desired Qualifications:
- Experience with constellation design, coverage analysis, or orbit propagation tools (e.g., STK, GMAT).
- Experience reverse engineering performance of existing vehicles.
- Experience with range safety and footprint analysis (e.g., expected casualty, circular error probable) for reentry or launch systems.
- Experience reconciling simulation predictions against flight test data.
- Familiarity with vehicle GNC algorithms and their interaction with mission design.
- Prior experience working in startups and/or small independent teams.
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 $161,000-$221,000. 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.
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Find Design Engineer JobsDesign Engineer Job Market in Los Angeles
Who's Hiring
- K2 Space287
- MACH INDUSTRIES82
- Northrop Grumman82
- HDR41
- Arcadis41
Design Engineer Jobs in Los Angeles: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a design engineer job in Los Angeles?
Focus your search on the aerospace and defense corridor stretching through El Segundo, Torrance, and the South Bay, where companies consistently need mechanical and systems design engineers. Consumer electronics and entertainment technology firms on the Westside and in Culver City also hire steadily. Candidates who can show CAD proficiency, hardware prototype experience, or domain knowledge in aerospace or consumer products tend to stand out in the Los Angeles market.
Which companies hire design engineers in Los Angeles?
Employers hiring design engineers in Los Angeles right now include K2 Space, MACH INDUSTRIES, and Northrop Grumman, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Los Angeles draws a mix of large aerospace primes, consumer electronics firms, and nimble hardware startups, giving design engineers a wide range of company sizes and product types to target.
Are there remote design engineer jobs in Los Angeles?
Yes, though remote work is less common for design engineers than for purely desk-based roles, since the work often involves hands-on prototyping, lab access, or manufacturing coordination. About 89% of design engineer openings tied to Los Angeles are remote or hybrid as of September 2026. Hybrid arrangements are most common for roles focused on CAD modeling, documentation, or systems integration rather than physical build and test work.
How can I get a design engineer job in Los Angeles with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in Los Angeles is landing a junior or associate design engineer role at one of the South Bay aerospace suppliers or a Westside hardware startup, both of which regularly hire recent graduates. Contract-to-hire positions at aerospace primes are another common on-ramp, often requiring only a relevant degree and basic CAD skills. Building a portfolio of school or personal projects that shows hands-on design work helps considerably with local employers who prioritize demonstrated ability over years of experience.
Related Jobs in California
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