Payload Systems Integration & Test Director

Telemetry Today LLC; El Segundo, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 186,000 - 251,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision insurance

Relocation support

Stock options

401(k) with company match

Wellness reimbursement

Paid holidays

Job summary

Varda Space Industries in El Segundo, CA seeks a Director of Payload Systems Integration & Test to lead a multidisciplinary team responsible for end-to-end mission success of diverse payloads, including pharmaceutical processing and sensors. You will own system interfaces, test campaigns, and in-orbit coordination, delivering flight hardware that withstands spaceflight challenges.

The role combines technical leadership with program management and customer delivery, requiring a track record in

Qualifications

• 10+ years of spacecraft or aerospace hardware experience in integration, test, and mission execution.
• Demonstrated ability to turn vague technical problems into executable plans, interfaces, and requirements.
• Hands-on experience planning and running environmental qualification campaigns on flight hardware.
• Strong interface engineering background: ICDs, requirements flow-down, verification across boundaries.
• Experience leading engineers, including hiring and developing early-career talent.
• Breadth across mechanical, thermal, fluidic, electrical, and software interfaces.
• Experience with cleanroom operations and contamination control.
• Customer-facing experience: scoping work, managing schedules, setting expectations.
• B.S. in a relevant engineering discipline.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead the Payload Systems Integration & Test team, hiring and developing engineers.
• Own integration and test for internal pharma payloads: test planning, verification, environmental qualification.
• Collaborate with payload design engineers to shape testability early in the cycle.
• Translate customer objectives into executable plans and scope required engineering work.
• Define payload interfaces and create ICDs and interface verification.
• Plan and execute payload test campaigns across both production lines.
• Coordinate with production for cleanroom practices and hardware assembly.
• Partner with Vehicle Integration & Test to share practices where appropriate.
• Engage with Mission Management to meet milestones and communicate with customers.
• Support payload operations through flight, reentry, and recovery.
• Develop and mature processes and cleanroom standards for scaling cadence.

Skills

Leadership

System integration

Environment testing

Interface engineering

Project planning

Customer facing

Hiring & mentoring

Cross-functional collaboration

B.S. in engineering

Education

B.S. in an engineering discipline

Job description

Varda Space Industries in El Segundo, CA seeks a Director of Payload Systems Integration & Test to lead a multidisciplinary team responsible for end-to-end mission success of diverse payloads, including pharmaceutical processing and sensors. You will own system interfaces, test campaigns, and in-orbit coordination, delivering flight hardware that withstands spaceflight challenges.

The role combines technical leadership with program management and customer delivery, requiring a track record in