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Salary: USD 140,333 - 179,314 / annual
Varda Space Industries is accelerating commercial space infrastructure development, building in-orbit pharmaceutical processing systems, reentry capsules, heat shields, and satellite buses entirely in-house. The company is backed by top-tier investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, and Founders Fund, with leadership from SpaceX, Blue Origin, and major pharmaceutical companies.
As Senior Manufacturing Engineer for Structures, you will own the end-to-end manufacturing processes for primary and secondary structural assemblies that form the backbone of Varda's reentry capsules and spacecraft. This is a hands-on role bridging structural design intent and production reality, working directly with structural design engineers and skilled technician teams to drive process discipline, eliminate rework, and scale vehicle build cadence.
Key responsibilities include:
- Owning manufacturing processes for composite structures (wet layup, prepreg, autoclave/oven cure), machined metallic components, and bonded assemblies
- Developing and maintaining detailed work instructions, process specifications, and manufacturing travelers for all structural build operations
- Providing design-for-manufacturability (DFM) feedback to structural design engineers on composite part design, tooling accessibility, bond joint design, and fastener patterns
- Implementing and enforcing cleanliness, foreign object debris (FOD) prevention, and contamination control procedures for composite and bonded structure operations
- Leading non-conformance investigations and root cause corrective actions for structural build defects, materials issues, dimensional discrepancies, tolerance stackups, and coating failures
- Defining and procuring tooling (drill jigs, assembly fixtures) required to support production scaling
- Refining floor layouts and product flow for structural subassembly work cells to reduce travel time and improve throughput
- Coordinating with supply chain on incoming material inspection requirements for composite materials, adhesives, and structural raw stock
The role is based in El Segundo, CA, where Varda operates offices and a production facility for building, integrating, and testing vehicles and equipment. The company also has offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.
**Requirements:**
- B.S. in Mechanical or Materials Engineering, or related discipline (or equivalent professional experience, typically 3–6+ years)
- 3+ years of manufacturing experience with structural assembly or manufacturing (riveted or welded structures, machined metals, or composites and bonded structures)
- Strong understanding of structural static loads analysis, mechanical properties of materials, and processes used to assemble riveted and bolted structures
- Hands-on experience assembling and fabricating structural assemblies (welding, adhesive bonding, riveting)
- Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, GD&T callouts, and structural assembly models
- Experience writing and maintaining manufacturing process documentation and work instructions
- Strong problem-solving skills; ability to diagnose structural build defects and drive corrective action through to closure
- Must be physically able to regularly lift 25 lbs., bend, stoop, and stand for extended periods while working directly with hardware
**Preferred Skills and Experience:**
- M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering specialized in Materials Science, Structural Analysis, or related discipline
- Experience manufacturing primary flight structures for launch vehicles, satellites, or reentry systems
- Familiarity and strong understanding of dynamic and vibrational loads analysis
- Background in transitioning structural assemblies from R&D/prototype to rate production, including tooling qualification
- Knowledge of aerospace structural materials (aluminum alloys, titanium, steel) in a manufacturing context
- Experience with 3D CAD tools (CATIA, SolidWorks, NX) for tooling design and assembly model review
- Familiarity with first article inspection (FAI) processes and FAIR documentation requirements
- Prior experience at a new-space or defense prime where structural production cadence was actively being increased
