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Salary: USD 140,000 - 170,000 / annual
Varda Space Industries is accelerating commercial space infrastructure development, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing and reentry capsules. The company designs, builds, and operates W-Series vehicles in-house, with leadership and staff from SpaceX, Blue Origin, and major pharmaceutical companies.
As Senior Environmental Test Engineer, you will serve as the technical authority for vibration testing of spacecraft and space-qualified hardware. You will own vibration test procedures end-to-end: from reviewing requirements and designing fixtures, to overseeing execution on the test floor and ensuring all resulting data is accurately captured, analyzed, and documented. Working at the intersection of structures, manufacturing, systems engineering, and test operations, you will help guarantee that flight hardware meets the mechanical robustness required to survive launch and spaceflight environments.
Key responsibilities include:
- Own vibration test planning and execution for spacecraft and space-grade components, including qualification, acceptance, and development-level campaigns
- Develop, review, and continuously improve vibration test procedures, work instructions, and supporting documentation
- Review engineering requirements, test matrices, and environmental specifications to ensure test coverage is accurate and complete
- Evaluate, design, or oversee the design of custom vibration test fixtures, ensuring they meet structural stiffness, mass, and interface requirements
- Serve as the primary interface between test operations and engineering groups (structures, systems, avionics, manufacturing) during environmental test activities
- Identify and resolve fixture-interface issues, test configuration conflicts, and schedule risks prior to hardware entering the test queue
- Oversee vibration test readiness reviews, confirming fixture integrity, hardware configuration, instrumentation, and test article safety
- Lead on-floor vibration test operations, ensuring execution adheres strictly to procedure, safety standards, and configuration control
- Drive root cause analysis and RCCA for test anomalies or non-conformances; disposition MRBs in coordination with responsible engineering teams
- Review and approve post-test data packages, including plots, accelerometer responses, workmanship checks, and final test reports
- Track environmental test metrics (cycle time, NCR rate, fixture availability, hardware throughput) and implement improvements to increase test cadence
- Define tooling, handling, and support equipment requirements to enable safe and efficient test operations
Requirements:
- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience
- 3+ years of experience in environmental testing — specifically vibration testing — for spacecraft, launch vehicles, aerospace systems, or high-reliability hardware
- Strong understanding of how spacecraft subsystems respond to dynamic environments (mechanical, electrical, fluid, and structural interfaces)
- Experience authoring or executing environmental test procedures, with emphasis on vibration or shock testing
- Ability to manage shifting priorities and make sound decisions during real-time test operations
- Exceptional communication skills and comfort coordinating across multi-discipline engineering teams
- Must be physically able to routinely move test fixtures or hardware up to 25 lbs., bend, stoop, and work around large test equipment
Preferred qualifications:
- M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field with relevant specialization (structures, dynamics, test engineering)
- Experience as a lead vibration test engineer on spacecraft, satellite, or launch vehicle hardware programs
- Familiarity with full environmental test flows, including vibration, shock, thermal vacuum, and acoustic testing
- Background designing or validating flight hardware fixtures, test adapters, or dynamic qualification setups
- Experience maintaining configuration control, test record documentation, and traceability in a regulated aerospace environment
- Knowledge of cleanliness standards, contamination control, and hardware handling requirements for precision mechanisms or propulsion components
- Hands-on experience with large environmental test equipment — shaker tables, slip plates, head expanders, lifting hardware, and alignment tools
- Prior experience supporting manufacturing or test environments transitioning from prototype builds to production throughput
- Experience conducting test readiness reviews, fixture inspections, accelerometer placement reviews, and post-test functional checkouts
Note: ITAR requirements apply. Must be a U.S. person (U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)).
