Senior Build Reliability Engineer - Spacecraft Hardware

Varda Space Industries; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 179,000; Full time

Job summary

Varda Space Industries in El Segundo, California, is seeking a Senior Build Reliability Engineer to partner with design and manufacturing teams to right-size processes and enable scalable production of spacecraft hardware.

You will drive reliability across design reviews, testing, and qualification campaigns, perform root-cause analyses, and support Mission Assurance with risk management and mitigations. A hands-on, collaborative approach and strong lean quality experience are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace, computer science, electrical, manufacturing, mechanical, or material sciences engineering.
• 5+ years professional experience in aerospace, design, quality, or related engineering role.
• Hands-on hardware test, qualification, troubleshooting, or failure analysis experience.
• Commitment to lean quality principles without compromising safety or reliability.
• Demonstrated application of process controls in high volume manufacturing, test, and quality environments.
• Experience generating, processing, and/or analyzing data for production insight.
• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills, with a drive to innovate and improve reliability in cutting-edge technology.

Responsibilities

• Partner with design engineering and manufacturing teams to create test, manufacturability, and inspection plans for all vehicle hardware.
• Contain suspect or known non-conforming product, providing guidance to quality inspectors, technicians, shop supervisors, and engineers.
• Lead failure investigations in production, test, and operation; identifying and mitigating immediate and underlying root causes to reduce risk and improve the reliability of designs and processes.
• Provide critical peer review of hardware during design reviews and acceptance and qualification test campaigns.
• Perform failure modes and effects analyses, build requirements compliance matrix tools, and ensure adequate test coverage, change management, and manufacturability of flight hardware.
• Own vehicle level deliverables for regulatory bodies including requirements compliance, functional or flight hazard analyses, and verification evidence.
• Support Mission Assurance's vehicle level risk management and identification/tracking/execution of mitigations.

Skills

Hands-on hardware test

Process controls in manufacturing

Data analysis for production insight

Strong interpersonal and collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in aerospace, computer science, electrical, manufacturing, mechanical, or material sciences engineering

Tools

MSA (Measurement Systems Analysis)

DOE (Design of Experiments)

SPC (Statistical Process Control)

Root cause analysis & corrective action

APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning)

PFMEA

Control plans

Job description

Varda Space Industries in El Segundo, California, is seeking a Senior Build Reliability Engineer to partner with design and manufacturing teams to right-size processes and enable scalable production of spacecraft hardware.

You will drive reliability across design reviews, testing, and qualification campaigns, perform root-cause analyses, and support Mission Assurance with risk management and mitigations. A hands-on, collaborative approach and strong lean quality experience are essential.