Space Mission Operations Engineer II

Responsibilities

• Develop, coordinate, execute, and lead Varda's on-orbit missions.
• Own the full ops development cycle for mission-unique payloads, from the creation of mission profiles through execution.
• Work with teams across the company to continuously improve upon mission operations and ensure mission success.
• Automate and eliminate operational burden by building webtools.
• Scale up Varda's operational capabilities to support a growing flight cadence.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline, preferably Aerospace, Electrical, or Computer Science.
• 2+ years of experience in a real time operations role on a complex and high consequence operation.
• 1+ years of experience developing software tools in Python, JavaScript, and/or HTML.
• Familiarity with Avionics, GNC, Software, and Thermal design practices for spacecraft.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• 3+ years of experience with spacecraft systems.
• Previous operator experience in a leadership role.
• Previous in-orbit spacecraft operations experience.
• Previous experience with Git and Atlassian products.
• Familiarity with ground stations networks.

Pay Range

• Salary range: Engineer II: $119,543 - $152,749/ per year.
• This role is on-site in 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.

Benefits

• Varda offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support health, financial well‑being, and a high‑quality workplace experience. Below is an overview of what full‑time employees receive (at this time, interns receive a subset of benefits):

Health & Wellness

Financial & Retirement

Workplace Experience & Perks

• Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly
• Company and team-bonding events, happy hours and mission-success celebrations
• Complimentary EV charging

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. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our 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).

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