Harnessing)

Varda Space•El Segundo, CA

10d•$140,333 - $202,703•Onsite

About The Position

Varda is hiring a Senior Manufacturing Engineer focused on avionics, electromechanical systems, and harnessing. The role supports scaling production of spacecraft electromechanical assemblies, including wire harness fabrication, connector installation, actuator integration, and cable routing. The engineer owns manufacturing processes at the intersection of electrical and mechanical systems and ensures builds meet quality and reliability standards through practical, documented improvements. The position also covers manufacturing and integration of payload systems, including pharmaceutical processing hardware, experiment modules, and customer-furnished equipment. The engineer develops production documentation and test procedures, interfaces with payload customers, establishes handling and contamination-control protocols, supports design-for-manufacturing and assembly feedback, and coordinates acceptance testing, non-conformance resolution, and payload readiness with vehicle integration teams. This is an on-site role in El Segundo, California. The stated salary range is $140,333–$202,703 per year, with eligibility for stock options and/or long-term cash awards. Because the role involves access to export-controlled items, Varda's policy is to hire U.S. persons authorized to access the technology without an export license.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience (typically 3–6+ years).
At least 3 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 problem-solving ability, including tracing build defects to root causes and developing durable fixes for electrical and mechanical problems relevant to avionics and electromechanical assembly.
Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and connector pinouts.
Excellent collaboration and communication skills, including comfort working directly with production-floor technicians.
Ability to regularly lift 25 pounds, bend, stoop, and stand for extended periods.
U.S. person status as defined in the posting: U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual admitted as a refugee or granted asylum.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering specializing in Embedded Systems, Microelectronics, RF, Control Systems, or a related discipline.
Experience with spacecraft or launch-vehicle electromechanical integration in a production environment, not only 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 MRB 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 electrical BOM configuration control.
Prior work at a small-to-mid-size aerospace company involving varied responsibilities and end-to-end ownership.

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 ICD 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 DFM and DFA 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 traceable build records.
Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for payload non-conformances, coordinating MRB dispositions with design engineering and, where applicable, payload customers.
Coordinate payload integration milestones with the vehicle integration team and align payload readiness gates with the vehicle build schedule.