Senior Systems Engineer, Mission Assurance

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

Varda is looking for a Senior Systems Engineer to join our Mission Assurance team, where you will establish our core systems development functions from the ground up. The Mission Assurance team partners with Varda’s 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, Mission Assurance supports 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

• Lead end-to-end mission assurance activities for aerospace systems, from early design through launch and mission operations.
• Drive requirements decomposition, allocation, and traceability to ensure all mission, safety, and regulatory needs are met.
• Own vehicle-level functional hazard analyses (FHA) and failure mode and effect analyses (FMEA).
• Provide critical peer review of hardware during design reviews and acceptance and qualification test campaigns.
• Responsible for vehicle-level deliverables to regulatory organizations, in the service of mission reentry licenses and authorizations.
• Responsible for vehicle level risk management and determination of program risk posture and execution of effective mitigation strategies.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, systems engineering or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant aerospace engineering experience, with a previous role involving mission assurance, design or reliability engineering, or a senior systems engineering role.
• Proven track record in requirements management, verification planning, and systems integration for aerospace or defense systems.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence cross-functional teams and present to executives/customers.
• Strong experience with risk management methodologies and tools (FMEA, FTA, hazard analysis).
• Experience with integration of interdisciplinary systems in the aerospace industry.
• Familiarity with AS9100, NASA, DoD, or equivalent aerospace quality/assurance standards.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Master’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, systems engineering or related field.
• Experience with safety-critical aerospace systems, including development and execution of flight hazard analyses and mitigation strategies in accordance with industry and regulatory standards.
• 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 effec