Payload Systems, Integration, & Test Engineer II

Varda Space Industries; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 173,000; Full time

Job summary

Varda Space Industries in the United States seeks a Payload Systems, Integration, & Test Engineer II to own end‑to‑end mission success for assigned payloads, including both in‑house and hosted customer payloads. You will bridge payloads with the Varda vehicle, define interfaces, and lead integration and test campaigns.

You’ll coordinate with vehicle and mission operations teams to scope changes, implement required accommodations, and ensure safe recovery of data and hardware.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical, Chemical, Systems Engineering, or other relevant field.
• 2+ years of experience integrating and testing spacecraft, payloads, or comparably complex electro‑mechanical hardware.
• Experience owning a hardware element through an integration and test campaign.
• Demonstrated ability to carry multiple hardware efforts concurrently against fixed schedule milestones.
• First‑principles problem solving and broad system‑level thinking.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Comfortable working hands‑on in a cleanroom with critical flight hardware.
• Must be physically able to regularly lift 25 lbs
• Must be comfortable bending, stooping, and standing while working directly with hardware on the floor.

Responsibilities

• Act as responsible engineer for assigned payloads from initial scoping through post‑flight data delivery.
• Work with payload providers to understand mission objectives, derive detailed requirements, and capture interfaces in ICDs.
• Collaborate across engineering disciplines to scope and implement special accommodations and payload‑specific vehicle changes.
• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for external payload customers throughout the mission lifecycle.
• Plan and execute payload‑level integration and test activities, including inspections and environmental testing.
• Identify, document, troubleshoot, and resolve technical issues during integration and test.
• Define payload flight operations and support on‑console operations to achieve mission objectives.

Skills

Payload integration

Hands-on hardware

System-level thinking

Communication skills

Problem solving

Physical fitness

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field

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 by Varda 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, where we have offices and a production facility where our vehicles, equipment, and materials are built, integrated, and tested. Varda also has offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.

Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.

About this Role

As a Payload Systems, Integration, & Test Engineer II at Varda, you will own the end-to-end mission success for assigned payloads, including both internally designed payloads and hosted customer payloads. Example payloads may include inertial, RF, or optical sensors or communication systems, as well as various types of pharmaceutical processing equipment and instrumentation.

You will serve as the technical bridge between each payload and the Varda vehicle, defining interfaces, planning and executing integration and test campaigns, coordinating in-orbit operations, and ensuring safe recovery of payload data and hardware. When payloads require special accommodations or vehicle modifications, you will work across the vehicle engineering team to scope and implement these changes.

This role is ideal for system-minded engineers with broad cross-disciplinary background, looking to do both concept synthesis as well as hands‑on integration and test.

Responsibilities

• Act as responsible engineer for assigned payloads from initial scoping through post‑flight data delivery, for both in‑house pharma payloads and hosted customer payloads
• Work with payload providers to understand mission objectives, derive detailed requirements, and capture detailed interfaces in formal ICDs
• Work collaboratively across engineering disciplines to scope and implement special accommodations and payload‑specific vehicle changes
• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for external payload customers throughout the mission lifecycle (early‑stage scoping through deorbit and recovery)
• Plan and execute payload‑level integration and test activities, including incoming inspection, functional checkouts, and environmental testing (vibration, EMI/EMC, TVAC), plus payload‑specific verifications such as leak testing or pharmaceutical process testing
• Identify, document, troubleshoot, and resolve technical issues that arise during integration and test activities
• Work with mission operations engineers to define payload flight operations, command sequences, and operations procedures, and support on‑console operations as needed to accomplish mission objectives

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical, Chemical, Systems Engineering, or other relevant field
• 2+ years of experience integrating and testing spacecraft, payloads, or comparably complex electro‑mechanical hardware
• Experience owning a hardware element through an integration and test campaign
• Demonstrated ability to carry multiple hardware efforts concurrently against fixed schedule milestones
• First‑principles problem solving and broad system‑level thinking
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Comfortable working hands‑on in a cleanroom with critical flight hardware
• Must be physically able to regularly lift 25 lbs
• Must be comfortable bending, stooping, and standing while working directly with hardware on the floor

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience integrating hosted or customer‑furnished payloads onto a spacecraft or launch vehicle
• Experience developing and managing interface control documents, requirements, and verification/validation plans
• Hands‑on experience with aerospace environmental testing (vibration, TVAC, EMI/EMC) and associated test standards (e.g., GSFC‑STD‑7000 and SMC‑S‑016)
• Exposure to pharmaceutical, biomedical, or other regulated‑industry hardware and quality practices

Pay Range

• Salary range: $119,543 - $172,673/per year
• Leveling and base salary is determined by job‑related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance
• You will be eligible for incentives in the form of stock options and/or long‑term cash awards

Varda, like all employers, must ensure that its employees working in the United States are lawfully authorized to work in the U.S. Additionally, our employees are exposed to and have access to certain export‑controlled items. Because our employees are provided access to export‑controlled items, our policy is to only hire “U.S. persons” who are permitted to have access to our technology without an export license.
“US 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 the E-Verify program.

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, martial status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.