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 systems, reentry capsules, and satellite buses. The company operates end-to-end from design through on-orbit operations, with a team of veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, and major pharmaceutical companies.
As a Spacecraft Mission Operations Engineer II, you will be an experienced spacecraft operator responsible for developing, coordinating, executing, and leading Varda's on-orbit missions. This is a hands-on role where you will own the full operations development cycle for mission-unique payloads, from mission profile creation through execution. You will work cross-functionally across engineering disciplines to continuously improve mission operations and ensure mission success.
Key responsibilities include:
- Develop and execute on-orbit missions for Varda's Winnie Spaceship and future vehicles
- Own end-to-end ops development for mission-unique payloads
- Collaborate with avionics, GNC, software, and thermal teams to optimize operations
- Build web-based tools to automate operational tasks and reduce manual burden
- Scale operational capabilities to support increasing flight cadence
- Establish and refine mission frameworks for space operations
You will need a Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline (Aerospace, Electrical, or Computer Science preferred), 2+ years in real-time operations on complex, high-consequence systems, and 1+ years developing software tools in Python, JavaScript, and/or HTML. Familiarity with spacecraft avionics, guidance/navigation/control, software, and thermal design is required.
Preferred qualifications include 3+ years with spacecraft systems, prior leadership experience in operations, in-orbit spacecraft operations background, Git/Atlassian experience, and ground station network familiarity. This is an on-site role in El Segundo, CA, offering competitive compensation and equity.
