SlipstreamJobs tracks this role from the company's public career site. Apply directly on the employer's site.
Salary: USD 119,543 - 152,749 / annual
Varda Space Industries is building commercial space infrastructure, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing, reentry capsules, and satellite buses. The company designs and operates its W-Series vehicles end-to-end, with leadership and staff from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharma, and Silicon Valley.
The Mission Operations Engineer II is an experienced spacecraft operator responsible for developing, coordinating, executing, and leading Varda's on-orbit missions. This role owns the full operations development cycle for mission-unique payloads, from mission profile creation through execution. You will work cross-functionally to continuously improve mission operations and ensure mission success, automate operational workflows by building web tools, and scale Varda's operational capabilities to support growing flight cadence.
This is a hands-on role in a startup environment where you will have full ownership of on-orbit operations for the Winnie Spaceship and the opportunity to shape a unique mission framework for space operations. You'll be an exceptional communicator and adept leader capable of applying cross-discipline engineering to bespoke solutions.
The role is based in El Segundo, California, where Varda has offices and a production facility for vehicle integration and testing. Varda also maintains offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline (preferably Aerospace, Electrical, or Computer Science)
- 2+ years of experience in a real-time operations role on a complex, high-consequence operation
- 1+ years of experience developing software tools in Python, JavaScript, and/or HTML
- Familiarity with Avionics, GNC (Guidance, Navigation, and Control), Software, and Thermal design practices for spacecraft
PREFERRED:
- 3+ years of experience with spacecraft systems
- Previous operator experience in a leadership role
- Previous in-orbit spacecraft operations experience
- Previous experience with Git and Atlassian products
- Familiarity with ground station networks
Note: ITAR requirements apply. Varda only hires "U.S. persons" (U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, or individuals admitted as refugees/granted asylum) due to access to export-controlled items.
