Avionics Hardware Development Engineer

Vardaspace; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible PTO policy

100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance

$120/month wellness reimbursement

12 weeks of parental leave

401(k) retirement plan with employer match

Job summary

Vardaspace is looking for a dedicated Avionics Hardware Engineer to design, manufacture, and test electrical components incorporated in space products. This role offers significant ownership of hardware throughout its lifecycle, allowing you to contribute to the mission of making space travel seamless and efficient.

You will develop mixed-signal designs, support avionics architectures, and conduct functional tests of the hardware. A B.S. in Electrical or Computer Engineering with 3+ years of experience in hardware development is essential.

This on-site position in El Segundo, CA offers a competitive salary between $100,000 and $165,000 with comprehensive benefits including flexible PTO and an employer-matched 401(k).

Qualifications

• 3+ years of direct experience in electronics hardware development.
• Strong sense of ownership for components contributed.
• Understanding of sensor and actuator technologies.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and test electrical components for aerospace applications.
• Support avionics architecture trade studies and analyses.
• Functionally test hardware through various stress tests.

Skills

Electronics hardware development

Mixed-signal circuit design

Hands-on experience with oscilloscopes

Programming in Python

Education

B.S. in Electrical or Computer Engineering

Tools

Altium Designer

Job description

About this Role

As a Varda Avionics Hardware Engineer, you will design, manufacture, test, and represent electrical components used to fly and manufacture products in space. In this role you will have immense ownership of hardware through all lifecycle phases. Get excited to deliver and test products that will go to space and back!

Some people say that you only have one chance to fly to space so you must be certain it will work. At Varda, we believe that the trip to space and back is the easiest trip our hardware takes. We stress our components above and beyond the levels it should expect to see in flight, and we investigate our failures thoroughly. Come join our team and build quality electronics that you love to see fly over and over again.

Responsibilities

• Develop mixed-signal designs and shepherd them through the full product lifecycle including requirements definition, design, development, qualification, and release to production
• Support avionics architecture trade studies, analyses, performance characterization and specification, device selection, and roadmap direction
• Support risk analyses, design for test/manufacture/cost, and root‑cause analysis of test discrepancies
• Design electrical circuit boards
• Collaborate on mechanical design fit, form, and function
• Functionally test your hardware through thermal, vibe, shock, TVAC, and EMI
• Write vehicle level integration test plans to validate for flight
• Perform root cause analysis for test failures and develop mitigation strategies for flight risks
• Example of Avionics Products you'll be working on: flight computers, networking, star trackers, reaction wheels, magnetorquers, payload controllers, battery packs, solar charger, RF transceiver and decoder

Basic Qualifications

• B.S. in Electrical or Computer Engineer or related field
• 3+ years of direct experience in electronics hardware development
• Demonstrated experience developing electrical circuit boards and delivering a working product
• Strong sense of ownership and responsibility for components you contribute towards
• Strong hands‑on experience with oscilloscopes, function generators, benchtop digital multimeters, and power supplies
• Understanding of analog/digital filtering, mixed‑signal circuit design, analysis, and test
• Knowledge of signal integrity, power, grounding, and general board layout principles
• Experience programming in Python, MATLAB, or another scripting/data analysis language
• Understanding of sensor and actuator technologies including: RTD’s, pressure transducers, DC brushless motors, solenoid valves, thermocouples, hydraulic servo valves, LVDT, RVDT, Rotary/Linear Encoders
• Don’t worry if you don’t check 100% of these boxes... We want to meet you!

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Demonstrated experience in delivering flight avionics for aircraft, launch vehicles, or other space applications
• Schematic and layout experience using Altium Designer
• Strong understanding and experience in environmental testing, such as vibration, shock, thermal, and TVAC
• Direct experience in launch vehicle avionics systems integration
• Experience with high and low speed instrumentation and data acquisition
• Firm understanding of instrumentation, interfaces and sensors including power supplies, serial devices, switch topologies, accelerometers, and 4-20mA sensors

Pay Range

• Salary range: $100,000 - $165,000
• This role is on‑site in El Segundo, CA
• Leveling and base salary is determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance
• You will be eligible for long‑term incentives in the form of stock options and/or long‑term cash awards

Benefits

Varda offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support health, financial well‑being, and a high‑quality workplace experience. Below is an overview of what full‑time employees receive (at this time, interns receive a subset of benefits):

• Flexible PTO policy +12 paid holidays
• 100% company‑paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer‑matched HSA options
• Voluntary accident, hospital, critical illness, and pet insurance
• $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses
• 12 weeks of parental leave (with supplemental disability leave for CA mothers)
• Family building, pregnancy, parenting and menopause benefits via Maven Clinic
• Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents

• Substantial incentive equity in a fully funded space start‑up
• 401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match (immediately vested)
• $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement
• Relocation support for new hires, if needed

• Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly
• Company and team‑bonding events, happy hours and mission‑success celebrations
• Complimentary EV charging

ITAR Requirements

Varda, like all employers, must ensure that its employees working in the United States are lawfully authorized to work in the U.S. Additionally, our employees are exposed to and have access to certain export‑controlled items. Because our employees are provided access to export‑controlled items, our policy is to only hire “U.S. persons” who are permitted to have access to our technology without an export license.

“U.S. person” means: U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) (i.e., individual admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum).

E-Verify Statement

Varda Space Industries, Inc. participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E-Verify program. The E-Verify program is an Internet‑based employment eligibility verification system operated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Learn more about E-Verify program.

E-Verify Notice Right To Work Notice

Varda Space Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates and employees are always evaluated based on merit, qualifications, and performance. We will never discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.