Senior Spacecraft Systems Engineer (Flight Safety)

Location: On-site in El Segundo, California, United States. The role requires U.S. person status and lawful authorization to work in the United States due to access to export-controlled technology.

Salary: $140,333–$179,314 per year, plus potential stock options and/or long-term cash awards.

Company

Varda develops in-space pharmaceutical processing, reentry capsules, heat shields, and satellite infrastructure in-house.

What you will do

• Own the technical regulatory strategy, Means of Compliance, and safety cases for FAA launch and reentry authorizations.
• Lead vehicle-level Functional Hazard Analyses and Failure Mode and Effects Analyses.
• Maintain expected casualty and debris risk models for all mission phases.
• Establish technical safety limits and mission rules for real-time console operations.
• Prepare vehicle-level deliverables for regulatory organizations and support reentry licensing.
• Serve as the Flight Safety responsible engineer during mission rehearsals and live recovery operations.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, systems engineering, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of relevant aerospace engineering experience, including mission assurance, flight safety, or senior systems engineering.
• Experience with FAA Part 450, expected casualty modeling, trajectory dispersion, or debris analysis.
• Strong experience with risk management methods and tools, including FMEA, FHA, and Fault Tree Analysis.
• Experience integrating interdisciplinary aerospace systems and communicating with cross-functional teams, executives, customers, and regulators.
• Must be a U.S. person authorized to work in the United States and access export-controlled technology.

Nice to have

• Experience with safety-critical mission operations in aviation or space.
• Experience with FCC Part 25 or Part 5 licensing for satellite and reentry communications.
• Experience applying lean quality practices without compromising safety or reliability.

Culture & Benefits

• Regular full-time employment with flexible paid time off and 12 paid holidays.
• Company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance, with FSA and employer-matched HSA options.
• Parental leave, family-building support, wellness reimbursement, and sponsored medical memberships.
• 401(k) plan with a 6% employer match, incentive equity, and cell phone reimbursement.
• Relocation support may be available for new hires.
• Lunch is provided daily, dinner twice weekly, with team events and complimentary EV charging.