Senior Space Mission Operations Engineer

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

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Long-term cash awards

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Wellness reimbursement

Parental leave

Relocation support

401(k) with match

Job summary

Varda Space Industries in El Segundo, CA, is seeking a Senior Space Mission Operations Engineer to own and lead on-orbit missions for Winnie Spaceship, applying cross-discipline engineering in a startup environment.

You will collaborate across teams to develop mission profiles, execute operations, and automate workflows with web tools, scaling capabilities for a growing flight cadence. 3+ years in spacecraft ops and strong avionics/GNC/ground networks experience are preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline, preferably Aerospace, Electrical, or Computer Science.
• 2+ years of experience in a real time operations role on a complex and high consequence operation.
• Familiarity with Avionics, GNC, Software, and Thermal design practices for spacecraft.
• 3+ years of experience with spacecraft systems.
• Previous operator experience in a leadership role.
• Previous in-orbit spacecraft operations experience.
• Previous experience with Git and Atlassian products.
• Familiarity with ground stations networks.

Responsibilities

• Develop, coordinate, execute, and lead Varda's on-orbit missions.
• Own the full ops development cycle for mission-unique payloads, from the creation of mission profiles through execution.
• Work with teams across the company to continuously improve upon mission operations and ensure mission success.
• Automate and eliminate operational burden by building webtools.
• Scale up Varda's operational capabilities to support a growing flight cadence.

Skills

Real-time ops experience

Leadership experience

Ground stations familiarity

Avionics, GNC, Software, Thermal

Education

Bachelor's in Aerospace / Electrical / CS

Tools

Git & Atlassian

Web-based ops tools

Job description

Senior Space Mission Operations Engineer

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

TheSenior Mission Operations Engineer is an experienced spacecraft operator. They are exceptional communicators, adept leaders, and a jack-of-all trades capable of applying cross-discipline engineering to bespoke solutions. An ideal candidate is someone passionate to work in a startup environment where you will have the opportunity to fully own on-orbit operations for our Winnie Spaceship and mold a unique new mission framework for operations in space.

Responsibilities

• Develop, coordinate, execute, and lead Varda's on-orbit missions.
• Own the full ops development cycle for mission-unique payloads, from the creation of mission profiles through execution.
• Work with teams across the company to continuously improve upon mission operations and ensure mission success.
• Automate and eliminate operational burden by building webtools.
• Scale up Varda's operational capabilities to support a growing flight cadence.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline, preferably Aerospace, Electrical, or Computer Science.
• 2+ years of experience in a real time operations role on a complex and high consequence operation.
• Familiarity with Avionics, GNC, Software, and Thermal design practices for spacecraft.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• 3+ years of experience with spacecraft systems.
• Previous operator experience in a leadership role.
• Previous in-orbit spacecraft operations experience.
• Previous experience with Git and Atlassian products.
• Familiarity with ground stations networks.

Pay Range

• Salary range: Senior: $140,333 - $179,314/ 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 offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support health, financial well‑being, and a high‑quality workplace experience. Below is an overview of what full‑time employees receive(at this time, interns receive a subset of benefits):

• Flexible PTO policy +12 paid holidays
• 100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options
• Voluntaryaccident, hospital, critical illness,andpet insurance
• $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses
• 12weeks ofparental leave(with supplemental disability leavefor CAmothers)
• SponsoredOne Medicalmemberships for employees and their dependents
• Substantial incentive equityin a fully funded space start-up
• 401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match (immediately vested)
• $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement
• Relocation supportfor new hires, if needed

Workplace Experience & Perks

• Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly
• Company and team-bonding events, happyhoursand mission-success celebrations
• Complimentary EV charging

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 theE-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.