Flight Safety Systems Engineer for Space Reentry

Vardaspace; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Varda is seeking a Systems Engineer to join our Mission Assurance team in El Segundo, CA. You will produce the Flight Safety Analysis and the regulatory strategy required for FAA Part 450 and Range Safety licensing, bridging complex engineering trades and regulatory approval.

This cross-functional role spans design verification, live on-console operations, and ensuring flight hardware is verified and our reentry methodologies are sound.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, or systems engineering.
• Proven ownership of a complex engineering project end-to-end.
• Excellent communication to influence cross-functional teams and regulators.
• Strong experience with risk management methods (FMEA, FHA, Fault Tree).

Responsibilities

• Perform flight safety analyses for each mission, focusing on debris containment.
• Execute regulatory strategy and safety cases for FAA launch and reentry authorizations.
• Complete vehicle-level FHA and FMEA analyses.
• Act as Flight Safety responsible engineer during rehearsals and live recovery.
• Establish safety limits and mission rules for real-time on-console operations.
• Deliver vehicle-level artifacts to regulatory bodies for licenses and approvals.

Skills

Flight safety

FHA

FMEA

Risk assessment

Cross-functional collaboration

Aerospace knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree in aerospace / mechanical / electrical / manufacturing / systems engineering

Tools

FMEA tools

FHA methods

Trajectory modeling tools

Job description

Varda is seeking a Systems Engineer to join our Mission Assurance team in El Segundo, CA. You will produce the Flight Safety Analysis and the regulatory strategy required for FAA Part 450 and Range Safety licensing, bridging complex engineering trades and regulatory approval.

This cross-functional role spans design verification, live on-console operations, and ensuring flight hardware is verified and our reentry methodologies are sound.