Space Avionics Systems Engineer II — Flight & HITL Readiness

Varda; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 153,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Relocation support

Stock options / equity

401(k) with employer match

Parental leave

Job summary

Varda is seeking an Avionics Systems Engineer II to lead the design, integration, and testing of avionics systems for the Winnebago Spaceship. You will ensure readiness for launch and reentry operations, collaborating across teams on system integration and mission objectives.

The role requires deep avionics knowledge, manufacturing awareness, and a track record of turning concepts into production-ready hardware, with on-site work in El Segundo, CA. Competitive benefits accompany equity options.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
• 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 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 they’ll determine system health, suggest corrective actions 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, support the design and integration of test racks and R&D equipment used to power and communicate with the flight vehicles.
• Draw from their experiences to help mentor and train new engineers, fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement within the team.

Skills

Python

System design

Test planning

Education

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

Tools

Power supplies

Modular DAQ systems

RTD & 4-20mA devices

General test equipment

Unix environments

Job description

Varda is seeking an Avionics Systems Engineer II to lead the design, integration, and testing of avionics systems for the Winnebago Spaceship. You will ensure readiness for launch and reentry operations, collaborating across teams on system integration and mission objectives.

The role requires deep avionics knowledge, manufacturing awareness, and a track record of turning concepts into production-ready hardware, with on-site work in El Segundo, CA. Competitive benefits accompany equity options.