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Salary: USD 119,543 - 172,673 / annual
Varda Space Industries is accelerating commercial space infrastructure development, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing and reentry capsules. The company designs, builds, and operates its W-Series vehicles in-house, including avionics systems, heat shields, and satellite buses.
The Spacecraft Systems Engineer II, Avionics will oversee the design, integration, and testing of avionics systems for Varda's Winnebago spacecraft. This role ensures all systems are mission-ready for launch and operational phases, requiring deep expertise in avionics system design, manufacturing processes, and operational protocols.
Key responsibilities include:
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams to define project scopes and guide designs from concept through production
- Developing electrical architecture, system diagrams, and budgets for power, telemetry, channel count, size, and mass predictions
- Analyzing architecture for faults and risks, developing mitigation plans and Fault Detection Isolation and Recovery (FDIR) strategies
- Conducting comprehensive verification plans for avionics systems on flight and Hardware-In-The-Loop (HITL) hardware
- Participating in mission operations as an avionics specialist, determining system health and suggesting corrective actions
- Overseeing integration of Winnebago avionics systems as the primary point of contact for integrated systems investigations
- Designing, building, and operating HITL testbeds to simulate spacecraft on the ground
- Developing avionics ground infrastructure, test racks, and R&D equipment; contributing to engineering best practices and test automation
- Mentoring and training new engineers to foster continuous improvement
The role is based in El Segundo, CA, where Varda operates its primary production facility. The company also has offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL. Varda was founded in 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov and is backed by investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, and General Catalyst.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical field
- 3+ years of experience in system design, test planning, and validation
- Proficiency in Python programming and debugging
- Experience with power supplies, modular DAQ systems, RTD and 4-20mA devices, and general test equipment
Preferred experience:
- Proven track record taking vehicle electrical systems from concept to operational production
- Prior experience setting up HITL testbeds, managing configuration control, and conducting system-level tests
- Familiarity with Unix environments and command-line utilities
- Experience developing test cases and test equipment for vehicle operating conditions
- Strong project or program management skills
- Background in avionics hardware, FPGA engineering, electronics test engineering, or electrical systems engineering
Note: This role requires US person status (US citizen, lawful permanent resident, or refugee/asylee) due to ITAR export control requirements.
