Senior Space Mission Operations Engineer

Varda Space•El Segundo, CA

2d•$140,333 - $179,314•Onsite

About The Position

Varda is developing commercial space infrastructure, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing and reentry capsules. Its W-Series vehicles and their components are designed, built, and operated in-house. Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California, with additional offices in Washington, DC, and Huntsville, Alabama. The Senior Space Mission Operations Engineer is an experienced spacecraft operator who will help develop and lead on-orbit missions for Varda’s Winnie Spaceship. The role calls for strong communication and leadership skills, broad cross-disciplinary engineering knowledge, and an interest in owning spacecraft operations in a startup environment. The engineer will develop and execute mission operations, build operational tools, and help establish a mission framework that can scale with Varda’s flight cadence. The position is on-site in El Segundo, California. The listed annual salary range is $140,333–$179,314. The role is eligible for incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards. Due to access to export-controlled items, Varda’s policy is to hire U.S. persons permitted to access its technology without an export license.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline, preferably Aerospace, Electrical, or Computer Science.
At least 5 years of experience in a real-time operations role involving complex, high-consequence operations.
At least 3 years of experience developing software tools using Python, JavaScript, and/or HTML.
Familiarity with spacecraft avionics, GNC, software, and thermal design practices.
Must qualify as a U.S. person permitted to access the company’s export-controlled technology without an export license.

Nice To Haves

At least 5 years of experience with spacecraft systems.
Previous spacecraft operator experience in a leadership role.
Previous in-orbit spacecraft operations experience.
Previous experience with Git and Atlassian products.
Familiarity with ground station networks.

Responsibilities

Develop, coordinate, execute, and lead Varda’s on-orbit missions.
Own the full operations development cycle for mission-unique payloads, from creating mission profiles through execution.
Work with teams across the company to continuously improve mission operations and ensure mission success.
Automate and reduce operational burden by building web tools.
Scale Varda’s operational capabilities to support a growing flight cadence.