Space Systems Engineer, Flight Safety Verified today

About Varda

Varda is developing commercial space infrastructure for in-orbit pharmaceutical processing and reliable reentry capsules. The W-Series vehicles are built, designed, and operated in-house, including payloads, capsules, heat shields, and satellite buses. Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California, with offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.

The Role

You will join the Mission Assurance team as a Space Systems Engineer, filling a flight safety analyst and reentry compliance role. You will produce the Flight Safety Analysis and regulatory strategy required for FAA Part 450 and Range Safety licensing. This role bridges complex engineering trades and regulatory approval, from defining safety-critical verification artifacts during design to supporting live on-console operations.

Responsibilities

• Perform flight safety analyses for each mission, with a focus on failure mode trajectory modeling and debris field containment.
• Execute the technical regulatory strategy, Methods of Compliance, and safety cases for FAA launch and reentry authorizations.
• Complete vehicle-level functional hazard analyses (FHA) and failure mode and effect analyses (FMEA).
• Act as the Flight Safety responsible engineer during mission rehearsals and live recovery operations.
• Establish technical safety limits and mission rules for real-time on-console operations.
• Responsible for vehicle-level deliverables to regulatory organizations, in the service of mission reentry licenses and authorizations.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, systems engineering or related field.
• Demonstrated ownership and execution of a complex engineering project, cradle-to-grave.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence cross-functional teams and present to executives, customers, and regulators.
• Strong experience with risk management methodologies and tools (FMEA, FHA, Fault Tree Analysis).
• Experience with integration of interdisciplinary systems in the aerospace industry.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Demonstrated experience with FAA Part 450, expected casualty modeling, trajectory dispersion, and/or debris analysis.
• Demonstrated safety critical mission operations in aviation or space applications.
• Proven experience navigating the FCC Part 25 (Commercial) or Part 5 (Experimental) licensing process for satellite and reentry communications.
• Dedicated to adopting a lean approach to quality without compromising safety or reliability.

Compensation

Salary range depends on experience level:

• Engineer I: $105,000 - $139,466 per year
• Engineer II: $119,543 - $152,749 per year

You will be eligible for incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards.

Employment Terms

This role is on-site in El Segundo, CA. Full-time position.

US Person Requirement

Due to export control regulations, Varda only hires "US persons." A US person means: U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) (i.e., individual admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum).