Varda Space Industries
Spacecraft Mission Operations Engineer
About this role
Varda seeks an experienced spacecraft operations engineer to develop and execute on-orbit missions for their commercial space infrastructure vehicles. You'll own the complete operational lifecycle for mission-unique payloads, coordinate cross-functional teams, and build automation tools to scale Varda's growing flight cadence.
What you'll do
- Develop, coordinate, execute, and lead Varda's on-orbit missions from creation through completion
- Own the full operational development cycle for mission-specific payloads and mission profiles
- Collaborate across engineering disciplines to improve mission operations and ensure success
- Build web-based tools to automate operational processes and reduce manual burden
- Scale operational capabilities to support increased flight cadence and mission complexity
What they're looking for
- Real-time spacecraft operations in high-consequence environments
- Python, JavaScript, and/or HTML software development
- Spacecraft systems knowledge (avionics, guidance/navigation/control, software, thermal)
- Mission planning and execution
- Cross-disciplinary engineering and problem-solving
- Git and Atlassian tools (preferred)
- Ground station network operations (preferred)
- Leadership and team coordination
Benefits
- Flexible PTO policy with 12 paid holidays
- Stock options under the Company's Equity Incentive Plan
- Comprehensive health and wellness benefits
- On-site work in El Segundo, CA with modern production facility
- Opportunity to shape new mission operations framework in startup environment
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Varda Space Industries
Varda Space Industries builds commercial spacecraft and orbital manufacturing systems for missions in low Earth orbit, including reentry capsules and satellite buses. The company is hiring mission operations engineers, software engineers (ground segment, flight, and embedded), and manufacturing engineers to develop mission-critical systems, operational infrastructure, and scalable production capabilities.
- Website
- varda.com
Likely interview questions
- Tell us about your experience with real-time spacecraft operations on complex, high-consequence missions—what systems did you work with and what challenges did you face?
- How have you automated operational workflows or built tools to reduce manual processes in your previous roles?