Senior Space Mission Operations Engineer Verified today
About Varda
Varda accelerates commercial space infrastructure for in-orbit pharmaceutical processing and reliable reentry capsules. The W-Series vehicles are designed, built and operated entirely in-house, including pharmaceutical processing payloads, capsules, C-PICA heat shields and satellite buses. Varda creates both the products and infrastructure for the orbital economy.
About This Role
You are an experienced spacecraft operator and exceptional communicator. You will fully own on-orbit operations for our Winnie Spaceship and create a unique mission framework for operations in space. This is a hands-on role in a startup where you apply cross-discipline engineering to real problems.
Responsibilities
- Develop, coordinate, execute and lead Varda's on-orbit missions
- Own the full ops development cycle for mission-unique payloads, from mission profile creation through execution
- Work with teams across the company to improve mission operations and ensure mission success
- Automate operational burden by building web tools
- Scale up Varda's operational capabilities to support growing flight cadence
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in engineering (preferably Aerospace, Electrical or Computer Science)
- 5+ years in real-time operations on complex, high-consequence operations
- 3+ years developing software tools in Python, JavaScript and/or HTML
- Familiarity with Avionics, GNC, Software and Thermal design practices for spacecraft
Preferred Skills and Experience
- 5+ years 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
Compensation and Location
- Salary: $140,333 to $179,314 per year
- Onsite in El Segundo, California
- Stock options and/or long-term cash awards eligible
- Leveling and base salary determined by job-related skills, education, experience and performance
ITAR Requirements
You must be a U.S. person as defined by export control regulations: U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or individual admitted as a refugee or granted asylum. Access to export-controlled technology requires this authorization.