Senior Spacecraft Mission Operations Engineer Verified today
About Varda
Varda is building commercial space infrastructure including pharmaceutical processing in low Earth orbit and reliable reentry capsules. The W-Series vehicles, heat shields, payloads, and satellite buses are designed and operated in-house. We are expanding the economic bounds of humankind by creating both orbital products and the infrastructure needed.
About This Role
The Senior Mission Operations Engineer is an experienced spacecraft operator who is an exceptional communicator and skilled leader. You will fully own on-orbit operations for our Winnie Spaceship and develop a unique mission framework for space operations.
Responsibilities
- Develop, coordinate, execute, and lead Varda's on-orbit missions
- Own the full operations development cycle for mission-unique payloads, from mission profile creation through execution
- Work across teams to continuously improve mission operations and ensure mission success
- Automate and eliminate operational burden by building web tools
- Scale up operational capabilities to support growing flight cadence
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline, preferably Aerospace, Electrical, or Computer Science
- 5+ years of experience in a real-time operations role on a complex, high-consequence operation
- 3+ years of experience 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 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
Compensation and Work
- Salary range: $140,333 to $179,314 per year
- On-site in El Segundo, California
- Leveling and base salary determined by job-related skills, education, experience, and performance
- Stock options and/or long-term cash awards
- 401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match (immediately vested)
- 100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance for employees and dependents
- Flexible PTO policy plus 12 paid holidays
- 12 weeks of parental leave
ITAR Requirements
You must be a US person as defined by export control regulations: US citizen, US lawful permanent resident, or individual admitted as refugee or granted asylum. Varda has access to export-controlled items and can only hire those with proper authorization.