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Salary: USD 119,543 - 152,749 / annual
Varda Space Industries is building commercial space infrastructure, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing systems and reentry capsules. As a Manufacturing Engineer II for Electromechanical systems, you will own end-to-end manufacturing and assembly processes for spacecraft electromechanical assemblies—wire harnesses, connectors, actuators, and cable routing—ensuring every build meets exacting quality and reliability standards for flight hardware.
You will develop and maintain detailed work instructions, assembly travelers, process specifications, and acceptance test procedures for payload fabrication and integration. You'll serve as the primary manufacturing interface for payload customers, translating Interface Control Document (ICD) constraints into executable production processes. This includes implementing contamination control, cleanliness, and handling protocols appropriate for sensitive payload hardware, including pharmaceutical-grade and precision optical components.
You will collaborate with payload design engineers to provide Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) feedback on assembly accessibility, connector placement, thermal interface design, and testability. You'll define and execute payload acceptance testing, functional verification checkouts, and pre-integration inspections while maintaining complete and traceable build records. When issues arise, you'll lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for payload non-conformances and coordinate Material Review Board (MRB) dispositions with design engineering and payload customers.
This role demands a builder's mindset: someone equally comfortable reviewing wiring diagrams, troubleshooting connector pinouts, and rewriting work instructions to prevent recurring defects. You'll coordinate payload integration milestones with the vehicle integration team to ensure payload readiness gates align with overall vehicle build schedule. The focus is on driving incremental, documented improvement for every vehicle Varda produces.
Varda is backed by top-tier investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, and Founders Fund, with leadership and staff from SpaceX, Blue Origin, and major pharmaceutical companies. The company is headquartered in El Segundo, CA, with additional offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.
**Requirements:**
- B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related discipline (or equivalent professional experience, typically 3–6+ years)
- 3+ years of manufacturing experience with electromechanical assemblies in electronics, aerospace, defense, or other high-reliability industries
- Demonstrated experience with wire harness fabrication, IPC/WHMA-A-620 standards, and connector assembly (D-sub, circular MIL-spec, coax)
- Strong first-principles thinking: ability to trace build defects to root cause and design durable fixes for electrical and mechanical problems relevant to avionics and electromechanical assembly
- Experience reading and interpreting electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and connector pinouts
- Excellent collaboration and communication skills; comfortable working directly with technicians on the production floor
- Must be physically able to regularly lift 25 lbs., bend, stoop, and stand for extended periods
- U.S. person status required (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)) due to ITAR export-control requirements
**Preferred:**
- M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering (Embedded Systems, Microelectronics, RF, or Control Systems) or related discipline
- Experience with spacecraft or launch vehicle electromechanical integration in production (not prototype) environment
- Familiarity with ESD control practices, grounding/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 (Windchill, Teamcenter, Arena) for electrical BOM configuration control
- Prior work at small-to-mid-size aerospace company wearing multiple hats and owning outcomes end-to-end
