Senior Mission Assurance Engineer

About Varda

Low Earth orbit is open for business. Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure from inorbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules.

From lifesaving pharmaceuticals to more powerful fiber optics there is a world of products used on Earth today that can only be manufactured in space. Varda is accelerating innovation in the orbital economy by creating both the products and infrastructure needed so space can directly benefit life on Earth. Our mission is to expand the economic bounds of humankind.

Our team is uniquely suited to accomplishing this goal with leadership and staff comprised of veterans from SpaceX Blue Origin major pharmaceutical companies and Silicon Valley. Varda was founded in January 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov with significant backing from world class investors including Khosla Ventures Lux Capital Founders Fund Caffeinated Capital General Catalyst and Also Capital.

Varda is headquartered in El Segundo California where we have offices and a production facility where our vehicles equipment and materials are built integrated and tested. Varda also has offices in Washington DC and Huntsville AL (coming soon).

Join Varda and work to create a bustling inspace ecosystem.

About This Role

The Mission Assurance Engineer will partner with Vardas design and manufacturing teams through the entire product development lifecycle for flight hardware while supporting the FAA and range safety licensing processes. This includes identification of key design characteristics development testing for manufacturability or reliability detailed acceptance or qualification test planning mission safety and operations. In addition the mission assurance engineer will support the development of flight safety analyses and verification artifacts for all phases of the mission. You will use your skills to ensure spacecraft reliability and mission success.

Responsibilities

• Produce orbital analysis and simulate failure modes for commercial reentry vehicles in support of vehicle level safety deliverables
• Provide critical peer review of hardware during design reviews and acceptance and qualification test campaigns
• Develop implement and validate test and inspection processes for new and existing products and processes
• Develop and improve program by use of subsystem criticality failure modes and effects analysis requirements compliance matrix tools to identify failure modes and the mitigations to ensure adequate coverage change management and optimize effects on production
• Responsible for vehicle level deliverables for regulatory bodies including requirements compliance functional or flight hazard analyses and verification evidence for the FAA FCC or Air Force Range
• Responsible for vehicle level risk management and of program risk posture and identifying mitigation strategies

Basic Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years professional experience in an aerospace design quality or similar engineering role
• Bachelors degree in aerospace computer science electrical manufacturing mechanical or material sciences engineering
• Experience with integration of interdisciplinary systems in the aerospace industry
• Strong computer skills with demonstrated ability in a programming language
• Professional experience in a role requiring programming skills including familiarity with MATLAB.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Masters degree in aerospace mechanical materials or electrical engineering
• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills and enthusiasm for Vardas spirit of innovation anddrive for improving reliability in cuttingedge technology
• Full project lifecycle ownership experience (cradletograve)
• Demonstrated application of process controls in high volume manufacturing test and quality environment
• Knowledge of quality tools such as measurement systems analysis design of experiments statistical process control root cause analysis and corrective action advanced product quality planning (APQP) metrology process failure mode and effects analysis (PFMEA) control plans and various problemsolving approaches
• Dedicated to adopting a lean approach to quality without compromising safety or reliability

Pay Range

• Salary range: $133000 $173000
• This role isonsitein El Segundo CA
• Leveling and base salary is determined by jobrelated skills education level experience level and job performance
• You will be eligible for incentives in the form of stock options and/or longterm cash awards

• Varda like all employers must ensure that its employees working in the United States are lawfully authorized to work in the U.S. Additionally our employees are exposed to and have access to certain exportcontrolled items. At present some of our technology to which employees have access requires a license to be exported to individuals other than U.S. Persons as defined in U.S. export regulations. Because our employees are provided access to exportcontrolled items our current policy is to only hire U.S. persons who are permitted to have access to our technology without an export license.

  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 in the U.S.

  Learn more about the ITAR here.

Benefits