CNC Machine Shop Manager

Varda Space Industries • El Segundo, CA

4h • Onsite

About The Position

Varda's machine shop is where the spaceflight hardware that flies on our reentry capsules — and the ground support equipment that builds, integrates, and tests them — gets cut. Capsule structural hardware, payload processing modules, propulsion and fluid system components, integration fixtures, and bespoke tooling all come off the floor here. This is a prototype shop: short-run, low-quantity, high-mix. Most jobs are one of a kind, every setup matters, and the next vehicle's build cadence depends on what leaves the shop this week.
As CNC Machine Shop Manager, you own the shop end-to-end. Today the team is 4 programmers and machinists, scaling to a larger team as Varda's vehicle cadence ramps. You'll work on a fleet of 3-axis and 5-axis mills, lathes, and secondary equipment. You set the schedule, hire and develop the team, and work directly with design and manufacturing engineers to keep first-piece quality high and turnaround tight.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical, manufacturing, or aerospace engineering, or equivalent practical experience
• 10+ years of CNC machining experience, with 5+ years leading a CNC machine shop or production team
• Hands-on background as a programmer or machinist who moved into management — still credible on the floor and at the CAM seat
• Direct experience with Mastercam (or equivalent) as the primary CAM environment
• Experience running shops anchored on Haas mills and lathes; comfort with Haas controls
• Direct experience with 5-axis machining strategy, workholding design, and complex setup troubleshooting
• Strong knowledge of GD&T, blueprint interpretation, and precision measuring tools (micrometers, calipers, indicators, height gauges, CMM)
• Experience in prototype, high-mix, or short-run machining environments

Nice To Haves

• Prior work in a technical role for a launch vehicle, satellite, or reentry-vehicle development effort
• Experience in low-volume, high-mix or prototype-to-flight aerospace manufacturing environments
• Experience with NX CAD
• Capex management experience — building business cases for new machine tools, tooling, and shop infrastructure
• Experience hiring and developing a senior shop team in a startup or scale-up environment

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day machine shop operations across capsule, payload, propulsion, and GSE programs, including scheduling, work prioritization, and resource allocation
• Lead and grow a team of programmers, machinists, and operators. Hire, mentor, develop, and hold the floor accountable for safety, quality, and delivery
• Drive performance across safety, quality, on-time delivery, throughput, scrap, and cost
• Direct setups, first-piece verification, in-process checks, tool offsets, and changeovers
• Troubleshoot machining issues related to programming, tooling, workholding, dimensional variation, surface finish, and machine downtime
• Evaluate and recommend capex for new machines, tooling, fixtures, and measurement equipment as the shop scales
• Champion configuration control discipline so every part is built to the controlled documentation

Benefits

• Equity in a fully funded space startup with potential for significant growth (interns excluded)
• 401(k) matching (interns excluded)
• Unlimited PTO (interns excluded)
• Health insurance, including Vision and Dental
• Lunch and snacks provided on site every day. Dinners provided twice a week.
• Maternity / Paternity leave (interns excluded)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager