CNC Machine Shop Manager

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.

Join Varda and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.

Vardas machine shop is where the spaceflight hardware that flies on our reentry capsules and the ground support equipment that builds integrates and tests them gets cut. Capsule structural hardware payload processing modules propulsion and fluid system components integration fixtures and bespoke tooling all come off the floor here. This is a prototype shop: short-run low-quantity high-mix. Most jobs are one of a kind every setup matters and the next vehicles build cadence depends on what leaves the shop this week.

As CNC Machine Shop Manager you own the shop end-to-end. Today the team is 4 programmers and machinists scaling to a larger team as Vardas vehicle cadence ramps. Youll work on a fleet of 3-axis and 5-axis mills lathes and secondary equipment. You set the schedule hire and develop the team and work directly with design and manufacturing engineers to keep first-piece quality high and turnaround tight.

• Own day-to-day machine shop operations across capsule payload propulsion and GSE programs including scheduling work prioritization and resource allocation
• Lead and grow a team of programmers machinists and operators. Hire mentor develop and hold the floor accountable for safety quality and delivery
• Drive performance across safety quality on-time delivery throughput scrap and cost
• Direct setups first-piece verification in-process checks tool offsets and changeovers;
• Troubleshoot machining issues related to programming tooling workholding dimensional variation surface finish and machine downtime
• Evaluate and recommend capex for new machines tooling fixtures and measurement equipment as the shop scales
• Champion configuration control discipline so every part is built to the controlled documentation

• Bachelors degree in mechanical manufacturing or aerospace engineering or equivalent practical experience
• 10 years of CNC machining experience with 5 years leading a CNC machine shop or production team
• Hands-on background as a programmer or machinist who moved into management still credible on the floor and at the CAM seat
• Direct experience withMastercam(or equivalent) as the primary CAM environment
• Experience running shops anchored onHaasmills and lathes; comfort with Haas controls
• Direct experience with5-axismachining strategy workholding design and complex setup troubleshooting
• Strong knowledge of GD&T blueprint interpretation and precision measuring tools (micrometers calipers indicators height gauges CMM)
• Experience in prototype high-mix or short-run machining environments

• Prior work in a technical role for a launch vehicle satellite or reentry-vehicle development effort
• Experience in low-volume high-mix or prototype-to-flight aerospace manufacturing environments
• Experience with NX CAD
• Capex management experience building business cases for new machine tools tooling and shop infrastructure
• Experience hiring and developing a senior shop team in a startup or scale-up environment

• Salary range: $110000 - $140000/per year
• This role ison-sitein El Segundo CA
• Leveling and base salary is determined by job-related skills education level experience level and job performance
• You will be eligible for incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term 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 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 our employees are provided access to export-controlled items our currentpolicy 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 asylumin the U.S.)