Senior Applications Engineer

Varda Space Industries•El Segundo, CA

2d•$140,333 - $179,314•Onsite

About The Position

Varda is seeking a Senior Applications Engineer to lead the development, deployment, improvement, and management of engineering applications. The role manages solutions throughout their product lifecycle, from identifying opportunities through support and sustainment, and works across engineering teams to ensure tools are integrated, compliant, and scaled for hardware and software development workflows. Projects may target cycle-time and cost reduction, better decision-making, risk reduction, configuration control, and operational efficiency. The role reports to the Director of Enterprise Applications and is a full-time, exempt position at Varda’s El Segundo headquarters. The engineer serves as the accountable owner of engineering systems, including PLM, CAD/PDM, MBSE, and engineering change management platforms. The role also develops analytics and internal applications, maps and improves workflows, builds data integrations, supports compliance documentation, manages system issues and updates, and drives user training and adoption. Additional responsibilities include evaluating AI-enabled tools, maintaining engineering data governance and quality, supporting IT and information security access and compliance, assessing vendors and platforms, and reporting system health, adoption, and project status.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related technical field.
At least 5 years of experience in software engineering or a similar role with coding requirements.
Ability to gather stakeholder business requirements and take projects from initial concept to finished product.
Ability to work with end users to rapidly iterate prototype applications and resolve user issues.
Hands-on experience with business process mapping and re-engineering using structured methodologies.
Ability to work independently as the sole technical resource within a business unit and manage competing priorities without day-to-day technical oversight.
Ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical internal and external stakeholders.
Proficiency in SQL and at least one scripting or programming language, such as Python or JavaScript.
Demonstrated experience building reports and dashboards in a BI platform such as Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent.
Familiarity with engineering data domains such as BOM structures, CAD metadata, and change order workflows, and willingness to develop expertise in aerospace engineering data standards.
Familiarity with ETL/ELT data integration patterns and tools such as Alteryx, dbt, SSIS, or Informatica.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce system design documentation, SOPs, and training materials for non-technical engineering stakeholders.
Familiarity with AI/ML concepts and professional hands-on experience using LLM-based tools.
Familiarity with Git or other version control systems and software development lifecycle fundamentals, including code review and CI/CD practices.

Nice To Haves

Graduate degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field.
Experience supporting or managing enterprise engineering applications such as PLM, CAD/PDM, MBSE, or engineering change management tools.
Experience with MBSE toolchains such as CAMEO or Capella and engineering change management workflows.
Experience with AS9100 and/or CMMC compliance documentation and audit support.
Proficiency with low-code/no-code platforms such as Alteryx or Power Apps for rapid application development.
Experience with cloud data platforms such as Snowflake, Databricks, or AWS Redshift and modern ELT architectures.
Experience with Microsoft products such as Teams, Jira, Confluence, and Bitbucket, including their APIs.
Track record of architecting and sustaining AI-powered solutions that achieved measurable adoption across large user populations.
Experience with aerospace and defense enterprise systems, manufacturing workflows, or supply chain operations.
ITIL, PMP, or Lean Six Sigma certification.
Track record of building workflow automation or custom tooling that eliminated manual processes, with quantifiable results such as hours saved, error reduction, or user adoption metrics in a regulated environment.
Experience conducting or contributing to platform trade studies or build-versus-buy evaluations for data infrastructure.

Responsibilities

Serve as the single point of accountability for engineering systems, including PLM, CAD/PDM, MBSE, and engineering change management platforms.
Administer and optimize engineering platforms, ensuring data integrity, configuration control, and compliance alignment.
Build analytics dashboards and reports using tools such as Power BI, SQL, and Python for engineering and manufacturing stakeholders.
Map, document, and re-engineer engineering workflows to remove manual bottlenecks, reduce cycle times, and improve data capture.
Develop and maintain internal low-code/no-code and custom applications to automate repetitive tasks and support decision-making.
Build and ingest ETL pipelines connecting engineering tools to the broader enterprise data layer.
Support compliance documentation for engineering systems and processes, including AS9100 and CMMC validation workflows.
Triage and resolve application issues, coordinate vendor escalations, and manage system releases and patches.
Create training materials and lead hands-on enablement sessions to increase adoption and reduce shadow IT.
Evaluate, pilot, and deploy AI-powered and generative tools in accordance with enterprise standards, managing their lifecycle and governance.
Own engineering data governance and quality standards, including data ownership, naming conventions, and data lineage monitoring.
Assist IT and Infosec with permission-based access, tracking, and compliance.
Evaluate tools, platforms, and vendors to support make-or-buy decisions and ensure integration with enterprise architecture.
Track and report system health, adoption KPIs, and project status to engineering leadership and enterprise stakeholders.