Harnessing)

Varda Space•El Segundo, CA

10d•$181,913 - $262,763•Onsite

About The Position

Varda is hiring a Principal Manufacturing Engineer to scale production of spacecraft electromechanical assemblies, including wire harness fabrication, connector installation, electromechanical actuator integration, and cable routing. The role owns manufacturing processes at the intersection of electrical and mechanical systems and ensures builds meet quality and reliability standards through incremental, documented improvement. The position focuses on manufacturing and assembly for payload systems, including pharmaceutical processing hardware, experiment modules, and customer-furnished payload equipment. The engineer develops production documentation, serves as the manufacturing interface for payload customers, establishes handling and cleanliness protocols, collaborates with design engineers on manufacturability, and leads payload testing, inspection, and non-conformance resolution. The role coordinates payload integration milestones with vehicle integration teams. This is an on-site role in El Segundo, California. Candidates must be U.S. persons eligible to access export-controlled items. Varda offers a salary range of $181,913–$262,763 per year and eligibility for stock options and/or long-term cash awards.

Requirements

B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience (typically 6–10+ years).
At least 6 years of manufacturing experience with electromechanical assemblies in electronics, aerospace, defense, or another high-reliability industry.
Demonstrated experience with wire harness fabrication, IPC/WHMA-A-620 standards, and connector assembly, such as D-sub, circular MIL-spec, or coaxial connectors.
Strong first-principles thinking and ability to trace build defects to root causes and implement durable fixes for avionics and electromechanical assembly problems.
Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and connector pinouts.
Excellent collaboration and communication skills, including comfort working directly with technicians on the production floor.
Must be physically able to regularly lift 25 pounds, bend, stoop, and stand for extended periods.
Must be a U.S. person permitted to access export-controlled items without an export license.

Nice To Haves

M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering, specializing in Embedded Systems, Microelectronics, RF, or Control Systems, or a related discipline.
Experience with spacecraft or launch vehicle electromechanical integration in a production environment, rather than solely in a prototype environment.
Familiarity with ESD control practices, grounding and bonding requirements, and cleanliness protocols for flight hardware.
Experience writing or revising work instructions and Material Review Board dispositions for electromechanical non-conformances.
Knowledge of cable routing in complex vehicle structures with thermal, vibration, and EMI constraints.
Hands-on experience with automated wire processing equipment or harness board tooling.
Background transitioning electromechanical assemblies from engineering development to rate production.
Experience with PDM/PLM systems such as Windchill, Teamcenter, or Arena for configuration control of electrical BOMs.
Prior work at a small-to-mid-size aerospace company involving multiple responsibilities and end-to-end ownership of outcomes.

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end manufacturing and assembly processes for payload systems, including pharmaceutical processing hardware, experiment modules, and customer-furnished payload equipment.
Develop and maintain work instructions, assembly travelers, process specifications, and acceptance test procedures for payload fabrication and integration.
Serve as the primary manufacturing interface for payload customers, translating customer requirements and Interface Control Document constraints into executable production processes.
Implement contamination control, cleanliness, and handling protocols for sensitive payload hardware, including pharmaceutical-grade and precision optical components.
Collaborate with payload design engineers to provide design-for-manufacturing and design-for-assembly feedback on assembly accessibility, connector placement, thermal interface design, and testability.
Define and execute payload acceptance testing, functional verification checkouts, and pre-integration inspections; maintain complete, traceable build records.
Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for payload non-conformances; coordinate Material Review Board dispositions with design engineering and, where applicable, payload customers.
Coordinate payload integration milestones with the vehicle integration team, ensuring payload readiness gates align with the overall vehicle build schedule.