Lead Payloads Manufacturing Engineer, Spaceflight

Varda; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 181,913 - 232,444; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off + holidays

Relocation support

Employer-provided medical/dental/vison

Job summary

Varda is seeking a Principal Payloads Manufacturing Engineer to own the manufacturing and integration processes for critical payload systems on our space vehicles. You will translate payload design requirements into production-ready assembly processes and develop rigorous work instructions while working hands-on with technicians to ensure quality and cleanliness.

You will collaborate with design and vehicle integration teams, implement contamination control, and lead root cause analysis for

Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline; 6–10+ years experience in aerospace, defense, biomedical, or research environments.
• Experience manufacturing or integrating precision hardware to tight tolerances and cleanliness requirements.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, ICDs, and assembly models; familiarity with GD&T.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end manufacturing and assembly processes for payload systems.
• Develop and maintain detailed work instructions, travelers, process specs, and test procedures.
• Interface with payload customers to translate requirements into production processes; manage ICD constraints.

Skills

Mechanical engineering

Reading engineering drawings

Good communication

Cleanroom handling

Education

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering

Job description

Varda is seeking a Principal Payloads Manufacturing Engineer to own the manufacturing and integration processes for critical payload systems on our space vehicles. You will translate payload design requirements into production-ready assembly processes and develop rigorous work instructions while working hands-on with technicians to ensure quality and cleanliness.

You will collaborate with design and vehicle integration teams, implement contamination control, and lead root cause analysis for