Senior Space Mission Operations Engineer Verified today
About Varda
Varda is building commercial space infrastructure for in-orbit pharmaceutical processing and reliable reentry capsules. Our W-Series vehicles, heat shields, payloads, and satellite buses are designed and operated in-house. We're creating both the products and infrastructure needed to make space manufacturing economically viable.
The Role
You are an experienced spacecraft operator who will develop, coordinate, execute, and lead Varda's on-orbit missions. You'll own the full operations development cycle for mission-unique payloads, from mission profile creation through execution. You'll work across teams to improve mission operations, automate operational workflows with webtools, and scale our capabilities to support growing flight cadence.
Responsibilities
- Develop, coordinate, execute, and lead Varda's on-orbit missions
- Own the full ops development cycle for mission-unique payloads, from creation of mission profiles through execution
- Work with teams across the company to continuously improve mission operations and ensure mission success
- Automate and eliminate operational burden by building webtools
- 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
- Operator experience in a leadership role
- In-orbit spacecraft operations experience
- Experience with Git and Atlassian products
- Familiarity with ground station networks
Compensation and Location
Salary range: $140,333 to $179,314 per year. Base salary determined by job-related skills, education, experience, and performance. You will be eligible for stock options and/or long-term cash awards. This role is on-site in El Segundo, CA.
Work Authorization
Varda requires employees to be lawfully authorized to work in the U.S. Due to access to export-controlled items, we hire only U.S. persons: U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents, or individuals admitted as refugees or granted asylum.