Space Avionics Engineer — HITL & Flight-Ready Systems

Vardaspace; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 131,000 - 184,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & Wellness benefits

Equity incentives

Relocation assistance

Parental leave

Wellness reimbursement

Stock options

Job summary

Varda Space Industries, Inc. in El Segundo, CA, is seeking an Avionics Engineer to join the Avionics Systems team.

You will oversee design, integration, and testing of avionics for the Winnebago vehicle, collaborating with engineering teams to ensure readiness for launch and reentry. The role covers architecture development, verification plans, HITL testbeds, and ground infrastructure; mentoring engineers and driving test automation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
• At least 3 years of experience in system design, test planning, and validation.
• Proficiency in programming and debugging with Python.
• Experience with power supplies, modular DAQ systems, RTD and 4-20mA devices, and general test equipment.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with cross functional teams to define project scopes and initial requirements, guiding designs from concept to prototype and full-scale production.
• Develop electrical architecture, system diagrams, and budgets to account for power, telemetry, channel count, size, and mass predictions used to communicate closing vehicle solutions to company level objectives.
• Analyze architecture for potential faults and risks, develop comprehensive mitigation plans, resolve uncertainties, and collaborate on Fault Detection Isolation and Recovery (FDIR) or operational workarounds when hardware solutions are unfeasible.
• Conduct comprehensive verification plans for avionics systems on flight and HITL hardware, ensuring readiness for launch and compliance with mission objectives for space and reentry operations
• Participate in mission operations as an Avionics specialist or system operator, where you’ll determine system health, suggest corrective actions, and to reentry commit criteria for operational success.
• Oversee the integration of the Winnebago avionics systems, acting as the primary point of contact for integrated systems investigations
• Design, build, and operate the Hardware In The Loop (HITL) testbeds, simulating the spacecraft on the ground to ensure all systems are mission ready
• Develop avionics ground infrastructure, supporting the design and integration of test racks and R&D equipment used to power and communicate with the flight vehicles. Contribute to developing engineering best practices, focusing on increased test automation and efficiency.
• Draw from your experiences to help mentor and train new engineers, fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement within the team.

Skills

Python

Avionics systems

Electrical engineering

System design

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field

Tools

Power supplies

Modular DAQ systems

RTD & 4-20mA devices

Testing equipment

Job description

Varda Space Industries, Inc. in El Segundo, CA, is seeking an Avionics Engineer to join the Avionics Systems team.

You will oversee design, integration, and testing of avionics for the Winnebago vehicle, collaborating with engineering teams to ensure readiness for launch and reentry. The role covers architecture development, verification plans, HITL testbeds, and ground infrastructure; mentoring engineers and driving test automation.