Mission Operations Internship - Spring 2026
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Job Location:
El Segundo, CA - USA
Monthly Salary:
Not Disclosed
Posted on:
08-09-2025
Vacancies:
1 Vacancy
Job Summary
About Varda
Low Earth orbit is open for business. Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules.
From life-saving 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 in-space ecosystem.
About This Role
You must be enrolled in an Undergraduate/ Graduate program to be considered. Spring internships will range between the months of January and May. All dates dependent upon the university schedule of the selected students. Internships are full-time and on-site in Los Angeles CA.
The Mission Operations team is responsible for developing planning and executing Vardas on-orbit missions. Members of this team need to be a jack-of-all trades capable of applying cross-discipline engineering to bespoke this role you will work alongside experienced Mission Directors and multiple engineering teams to conceptualize develop and standup web tools that will support our rapidly growing flight manifest.
Internships at Varda are optimal for students looking to grow technically and professionally while working on impactful projects critical to the companys success. You will be working on a collaborative team in a startup environment while being able to learn from some of most accomplished and experienced aerospace professionals in the world. Were dedicated to providing an experience that will let your decisions and contributions help drive Vardas success.
Responsibilities
Operate as an integrated member of Vardas Mission Operations team
Own the full-stack development life cycle of internal tools used in spacecraft and payload operations
Develop test and deploy web-based applications to support automation and scalability as mission cadence increases
Contribute to system verification infrastructure integration and debugging of mission-critical code
Collaborate across engineering teams to build and implement the first-use cases of your tools
Support mission operations in real time as your code is deployed in live spaceflight environments
Basic Qualifications
Full-stack coding experience with web development languages such as:
Python Java JavaScript HTML CSS C C nginx
Experience deploying executing and debugging server-based applications
Currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science Computer Engineering Software Engineering Aerospace Engineering or a related field
Coursework in:
Python programming full-stack development orbital mechanics (CS Aero background preferred)
Preferred Skills And Experience
Experience building scalable web applications
Understanding of software data management and scaling techniques
Experience applying code to aerospace systems or complex high-reliability environments
Familiarity with Continuous Integration pipelines and Linux environments
Previous internship co-op or real-world development experience
Hands-on project team experience (e.g. CubeSat Solar Car Formula SAE etc.)
ITAR Requirements
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 export-controlled 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 export-controlled 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
- Exciting team of professionals at the top of their field working by your side
- Equity in a fully funded space startup with potential for significant growth (interns excluded)
- 401(k) matching (interns excluded)
- Unlimited PTO (interns excluded)
- Health insurance including Vision and Dental
- Lunch and snacks provided on site every day. Dinners provided twice a week.
- Maternity / Paternity leave (interns excluded)
Varda Space Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates and employees are always evaluated based on merit qualifications and performance. We will never discriminate on the basis of race color gender national origin ethnicity veteran status disability status age sexual orientation gender identity martial status mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
E-Verify Statement
Varda Space Industries Inc. participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E-Verify program. The E-Verify program is an Internet-based employment eligibility verification system operated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Learn more about theE-Verifyprogram.
E-Verify Notice Right To Work Notice
Required Experience:
Intern
Key Skills
- Six Sigma
- Lean
- Management Experience
- Process Improvement
- Microsoft Outlook
- Analysis Skills
- Warehouse Management System
- Operations Management
- Kaizen
- Leadership Experience
- Supervising Experience
- Retail Management
About Company
Expanding the economic bounds of humankind with the world's first orbital manufacturing & reentry platform.
