Avionics Systems Engineer II Spacecraft HITL Stock Options

Varda Space Industries; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 173,000; Full time

Job summary

Varda Space Industries in El Segundo, CA, is seeking a Spacecraft Systems Engineer II, Avionics to oversee design, integration, and testing of avionics for our Winnebago Spaceship. You’ll ensure readiness for launch and reentry, collaborating across engineering teams to meet mission objectives.

The role emphasizes electrical architecture, verification planning, and hands-on HITL work, with opportunities to mentor peers and advance engineering best practices in a fast‑paced, frontier space

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical field.
• Experience: 3+ years of experience in system design, test planning, and validation.
• Programming Skills: Proficiency in programming and debugging with Python.
• Technical Expertise: Experience with power supplies, modular DAQ systems, RTD and 4-20mA devices, and general test equipment.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with cross functional teams to define project scopes and initial requirements, guiding designs from concept to prototype and full-scale production.
• Develop electrical architecture, system diagrams, and budgets to account for power, telemetry, channel count, size, and mass predictions used to communicate closing vehicle solutions to company level objectives.
• Analyze architecture for potential faults and risks, develop comprehensive mitigation plans, resolve uncertainties, and collaborate on Fault Detection Isolation and Recovery (FDIR) or operational workarounds when hardware solutions are unfeasible.
• Conduct comprehensive verification plans for avionics systems on flight and HITL hardware, ensuring readiness for launch and compliance with mission objectives for space and reentry operations.
• Participate in mission operations as an Avionics specialist or system operator, where they’ll determine system health, suggest corrective actions to reentry commit criteria for operational success.
• Oversee the integration of the Winnebago avionics systems, acting as the primary point of contact for integrated systems investigations.
• Design, build, and operate the Hardware In The Loop (HITL) testbeds, simulating the spacecraft on the ground to ensure all systems are mission ready.
• Develop avionics ground infrastructure, support the design and integration of test racks and R&D equipment used to power and communicate with the flight vehicles. Contribute to developing engineering best practices, focusing on increased test automation and efficiency.
• Draw from their experiences to help mentor and train new engineers, fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement within the team.

Skills

Python programming

Avionics design

Systems integration

Test automation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical field

Tools

RTD & 4-20mA devices

Power supplies

DAQ systems

HITL testbeds

Job description

Varda Space Industries in El Segundo, CA, is seeking a Spacecraft Systems Engineer II, Avionics to oversee design, integration, and testing of avionics for our Winnebago Spaceship. You’ll ensure readiness for launch and reentry, collaborating across engineering teams to meet mission objectives.

The role emphasizes electrical architecture, verification planning, and hands-on HITL work, with opportunities to mentor peers and advance engineering best practices in a fast‑paced, frontier space