Harnessing)

Varda Space Industries•El Segundo, CA

1d•$140,333 - $202,703•Onsite

About The Position

As the Senior Manufacturing Engineer (Avionics / Electromechanical / Harnessing) at Varda, you will help scale production of spacecraft electromechanical assemblies, including wire harness fabrication, connector installation, electromechanical actuator integration, and cable routing. You will own manufacturing processes at the intersection of electrical and mechanical systems and ensure builds meet Varda’s quality and reliability standards. The role calls for hands-on problem solving, including interpreting wiring diagrams, troubleshooting connector pinouts, and improving work instructions to prevent recurring defects. The focus is on driving incremental, documented improvement for every vehicle Varda produces. The position is on-site in El Segundo, California. Varda develops and operates commercial space infrastructure and builds, integrates, and tests its vehicles, equipment, and materials in its El Segundo production facility.

Requirements

B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline; equivalent professional experience may be considered (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 coax.
Strong first-principles thinking and ability to trace build defects to root causes and design durable fixes for relevant electrical and mechanical problems.
Experience reading and interpreting electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and connector pinouts.
Excellent collaboration and communication skills, including comfort working directly with technicians on the production floor.
Ability to regularly lift 25 lbs., bend, stoop, and stand for extended periods.
Must meet Varda’s stated U.S.-person requirement for access to export-controlled items.

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, not just 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 subject to 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 with broad responsibilities and end-to-end ownership.

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end manufacturing and assembly processes for Varda 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 operations.
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, and maintain complete, traceable build records.
Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for payload non-conformances, and coordinate MRB dispositions with design engineering and, where applicable, payload customers.
Coordinate payload integration milestones with the vehicle integration team and ensure payload readiness gates align with the overall vehicle build schedule.