Varda Space Industries
Spacecraft Mission Operations Engineer II
About this role
Varda seeks an experienced Mission Operations Engineer II to lead spacecraft operations for its Winnie vehicle in low Earth orbit. This role involves developing and executing mission profiles, coordinating cross-functional teams, and automating operational workflows to scale up commercial space operations.
What you'll do
- Develop, coordinate, execute, and lead on-orbit missions for Varda spacecraft
- Own the complete operations development cycle for mission-unique payloads from design through execution
- Collaborate across engineering teams to improve mission operations and ensure success
- Build webtools and automate operational processes to reduce manual burden
- Scale operational capabilities to support increasing flight cadence
What they're looking for
- Spacecraft systems and operations
- Real-time operations management in high-consequence environments
- Python, JavaScript, and/or HTML programming
- Avionics, guidance/navigation/control (GNC), software, and thermal design knowledge
- Leadership and communication in technical teams
- Git and Atlassian tools
- Ground station network familiarity
Benefits
- Flexible PTO policy plus 12 paid holidays
- Stock options and/or long-term cash awards
- Health and wellness coverage
- On-site work in El Segundo, CA with company facilities
- Startup environment with direct mission ownership
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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
- Describe your experience operating complex spacecraft or high-consequence systems in real time—what was your role and what challenges did you face?
- Walk us through a mission profile you developed end-to-end; what were the key decisions and how did you validate them?