Director, Payload Systems Integration & Test

Varda Space Industries; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 193,000 - 278,000; Full time

Job summary

Varda Space Industries seeks a Director of Payload Systems Integration and Test to lead a multidisciplinary team responsible for end-to-end mission success of diverse payloads, from inertial and RF sensors to pharmaceutical processing hardware. You will own interfaces, test campaigns, and customer delivery, ensuring payloads survive in orbit and return data safely.

You will manage day-to-day execution, hiring, project scoping, and development of standard workflows, while evolving the Payload

Qualifications

• 10+ years of spacecraft or aerospace hardware experience spanning integration, test, and mission execution.
• Hands-on experience planning and running environmental qualification campaigns on flight hardware.
• Strong interface engineering background: ICDs, requirements flow-down, interface verification across organizational boundaries.
• Experience leading engineers, including hiring and developing early-career talent.
• B.S. in a relevant engineering discipline.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead the Payload Systems Integration & Test team, hiring and developing engineers across a range of experience levels.
• Own integration and test for internal pharmaceutical processing payloads: test planning, functional verification, environmental qualification.
• Collaborate with Payload & Mechanisms development engineers on payload designs and testability.
• Define interfaces and drive payload integration plans across production lines and missions.
• Plan and execute payload integration campaigns, including interface verification and environmental tests.
• Coordinate with Vehicle Integration & Test to share best practices while maintaining distinct processes.
• Support payload operations through flight, reentry, and recovery.

Skills

Spacecraft hardware

Integration & test planning

Team leadership

Interface engineering

Environmental qualification

Customer-facing experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Master's degree in aerospace/mechanical/systems engineering

Job description

Varda Space Industries seeks a Director of Payload Systems Integration and Test to lead a multidisciplinary team responsible for end-to-end mission success of diverse payloads, from inertial and RF sensors to pharmaceutical processing hardware. You will own interfaces, test campaigns, and customer delivery, ensuring payloads survive in orbit and return data safely.

You will manage day-to-day execution, hiring, project scoping, and development of standard workflows, while evolving the Payload