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Salary: USD 105,000 - 152,749 / annual
Varda Space Industries is seeking a Space Systems Engineer to join the Mission Assurance team in a flight safety analyst and reentry compliance role. You will produce Flight Safety Analysis and regulatory strategy required for FAA Part 450 and Range Safety licensing, bridging complex engineering trades with regulatory approval processes.
Key Responsibilities:
- Perform flight safety analyses for each mission, focusing on failure mode trajectory modeling and debris field containment
- Execute technical regulatory strategy, Methods of Compliance, and safety cases for FAA launch and reentry authorizations
- Complete vehicle-level functional hazard analyses (FHA) and failure mode and effect analyses (FMEA)
- Act as the Flight Safety responsible engineer during mission rehearsals and live recovery operations
- Establish technical safety limits and mission rules for real-time on-console operations
- Deliver vehicle-level regulatory documentation to support mission reentry licenses and authorizations
About Varda:
Varda accelerates commercial space infrastructure development, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable reentry capsules. The company designs, builds, and operates W-Series vehicles in-house, including pharmaceutical processing payloads, capsules, C-PICA heat shields, and satellite buses. Founded in January 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov, Varda is backed by Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, and other world-class investors. The team includes veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies, and Silicon Valley. Headquarters in El Segundo, CA, with additional offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, systems engineering, or related field
- Demonstrated ownership and execution of a complex engineering project, cradle-to-grave
- Excellent communication skills with ability to influence cross-functional teams and present to executives, customers, and regulators
- Strong experience with risk management methodologies and tools (FMEA, FHA, Fault Tree Analysis)
- Experience with integration of interdisciplinary systems in the aerospace industry
Preferred Skills and Experience:
- Demonstrated experience with FAA Part 450, expected casualty modeling, trajectory dispersion, and/or debris analysis
- Demonstrated safety-critical mission operations in aviation or space applications
- Proven experience navigating FCC Part 25 (Commercial) or Part 5 (Experimental) licensing processes for satellite and reentry communications
- Dedicated to adopting a lean approach to quality without compromising safety or reliability
