Data Engineer

Vardaspace; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 153,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible PTO policy

100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement plan with employer match

Job summary

Vardaspace in El Segundo, California is looking for a Data Engineer to develop data pipelines and enhance data quality solutions. This full-time, onsite role involves collaboration across functions and ensures compliance with industry standards.

The position requires a bachelor's degree in Computer Science and at least 3 years of relevant experience, including cloud data platforms and proficiency in SQL. A flexible work culture and a range of benefits are included.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field.
• At least 3 years of experience in enterprise integration or data engineering.
• Experience with cloud data warehouse platforms such as Snowflake.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain ELT pipelines ingesting data from various enterprise systems.
• Support data platform evaluations and manage data storage tasks.
• Establish data quality frameworks and manage pipeline observability.

Skills

Enterprise integration or data engineering experience

SQL proficiency

General-purpose programming language (Python)

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Cloud data warehouse platforms (Snowflake, Databricks)

Relational and non-relational databases (PostgreSQL, MongoDB)

Job description

About Varda

Low Earth orbit is open for business. Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, from in‑orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules. Varda’s W‑Series vehicles are built, designed, and operated in‑house, including the pharmaceutical processing payloads, the capsules, the C‑PICA heat shields, and the satellite buses.

From life‑saving pharmaceuticals to more powerful fiber optics, there is a world of products used on Earth today that can only be manufactured in space. Varda is accelerating innovation in the orbital economy by creating both the products and infrastructure needed so space can directly benefit life on Earth. Our mission is to expand the economic bounds of humankind.

Our team is uniquely suited to accomplishing this goal, with leadership and staff comprised of veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies and Silicon Valley. Varda was founded in January 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov with significant backing from world‑class investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Caffeinated Capital, General Catalyst, and Also Capital.

Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California, with offices and a production facility where vehicles, equipment, and materials are built, integrated, and tested. Varda also has offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.

About This Role

Varda is seeking a Data Engineer to join our team. In this role, you will support the development of data pipelines, storage, security, and quality that power the organization. You will learn and contribute to the current application ecosystem and data architecture. You will collaborate with team members across functions to identify opportunities for process or application improvements and implement solutions through the product life cycle.

This is a full‑time, onsite, exempt position located in El Segundo, California.

This role reports to the Director of Enterprise Applications.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain ELT pipelines that ingest data from ERP, CRM, PLM, QMS, and other enterprise systems.
• Support enterprise data platform and application evaluations by researching solutions and documenting findings.
• Assist with data storage tasks, including table format standards, partitioning strategies, and interoperability across the tool ecosystem.
• Establish data quality frameworks, lineage tracking, and pipeline observability, including SLA monitoring, proactive alerting, and production‑grade logging.
• Support AI/ML workflows by designing feature pipelines, clean data products, and a governed knowledge layer that keeps data semantically aligned for reliable model and agent consumption.
• Work with engineers and stakeholders to translate requirements and business logic into technical specifications and data solutions.
• Operate within regulated environments where pipelines must satisfy FDA GMP, ITAR, and DCAA compliance and auditability mandates.
• Implement and enforce modern development practices, including source control, peer review, CI/CD pipelines, and automated build/test/deploy workflows (e.g., GitHub Actions).
• Leverage AI‑assisted development tooling to accelerate delivery and improve productivity.
• Learn and apply layered data architecture patterns to organize data assets for reliability and reuse.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field.
• At least 3 years of experience in enterprise integration or data engineering (advanced degrees count toward years of experience).
• Experience with cloud data warehouse or Lakehouse platforms (e.g., Snowflake, Databricks).
• Experience with relational (SQL) and non‑relational (NoSQL) databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, DynamoDB).
• Exposure to data transformation tools (e.g., dbt).
• Proficiency in SQL and at least one general‑purpose programming language (e.g., Python).
• Exposure to enterprise systems such as MRP, CRM, ERP.
• Understanding of data modeling concepts (star schema, normalization, dimensional modeling).
• Familiarity with source control (Git) and CI/CD concepts.
• Ability to write clean, documented code and willingness to learn data quality testing.
• Understanding of software architecture principles, data warehousing, and ELT workflows.
• Capability to gather business requirements and deliver end‑to‑end solutions.
• Experience collaborating with end users to iterate prototypes.
• Ability to translate technical concepts to non‑technical audiences.

Preferred Skills and Qualifications

• Database administration experience, including schema design and performance tuning.
• Interface with engineering and manufacturing teams to understand system designs and data needs.
• Experience supporting AI/ML pipelines such as feature stores or model monitoring.
• Experience in a start‑up or high‑growth environment.
• Familiarity with workflow orchestration tools (e.g., Airflow).
• Exposure to aerospace, defense, or pharmaceutical data environments.
• Experience with ERP systems deployed in a design‑development environment.
• Knowledge of Infrastructure as Code for cloud provisioning (e.g., Terraform).
• Relevant platform or tooling certifications (e.g., dbt Certified Developer).

Pay Range

• E2: $120,000 – $153,000 per year (1‑3 years of experience)
• Sr. Engineer: $140,000 – $180,000 per year (3‑6 years of experience)

Benefits

Health & Wellness

• 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

Financial & Retirement

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

Workplace Experience & Perks

• 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
• Dog‑friendly office space

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, employees are exposed to and have access to certain export‑controlled items. Because employees are provided access to export‑controlled items, the 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.