Manufacturing Engineer II (Payloads)

Location: On-site in El Segundo, California, United States. Regularly lift 25 lbs., bend, stoop, and stand for extended periods while working with flight hardware. Must be authorized to work in the United States and qualify as a U.S. person under ITAR requirements.

Salary: $119,543–$172,673 per year, plus potential stock options and/or long-term cash awards.

Company

Varda develops commercial space infrastructure, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing, reentry capsules, heat shields, satellite buses, and payload systems, with facilities in El Segundo, Washington, DC, and Huntsville.

What you will do

• Own end-to-end manufacturing and assembly processes for pharmaceutical processing hardware, experiment modules, and customer-furnished payload equipment.
• Develop and maintain work instructions, assembly travelers, process specifications, and acceptance test procedures.
• Translate payload customer requirements and ICD constraints into executable production processes and serve as the primary manufacturing interface for customers.
• Implement contamination control, cleanliness, and handling protocols for pharmaceutical-grade and precision optical hardware.
• Collaborate with payload design engineers on DFM/DFA, assembly accessibility, connector placement, thermal interfaces, and testability.
• Execute acceptance testing, functional verification, inspections, non-conformance root cause analysis, corrective actions, MRB dispositions, and payload integration milestones.

Requirements

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• At least 1 year of experience manufacturing or integrating complex, compact electromechanical assemblies, scientific instruments, or payload systems in aerospace, defense, biomedical, or research environments.
• Experience building and integrating precision hardware to tight tolerances and exacting cleanliness requirements.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, ICDs, and assembly models; familiarity with GD&T and interface requirement management.
• Experience developing and executing assembly procedures and acceptance test plans for multifunctional hardware assemblies.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to interface directly with customers and cross-functional internal teams.
• Physical ability to regularly lift 25 lbs., bend, stoop, and stand for extended periods while working directly with flight hardware.
• U.S. work authorization and U.S. person status required for access to export-controlled technology.

Nice to have

• M.S. in Mechanical Engineering specializing in Fluid Mechanics, Biomedical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Experience with spacecraft payloads, scientific instruments, or hosted payload modules for LEO, GEO, or deep-space missions.
• Experience with pharmaceutical or bioprocessing hardware manufacturing, GMP considerations, and contamination control for in-space drug manufacturing.
• Experience managing payload customer relationships from hardware delivery through integration, verification, and launch readiness.
• Experience with ICD management and interface verification for payload-to-spacecraft integration.
• Knowledge of microgravity experiment hardware design and manufacturing implications.
• Familiarity with thermal vacuum, vibration, and shock testing for payload acceptance and qualification.
• Experience in or adjacent to an ISO Class 7 or better cleanroom.
• Experience at a commercial space services company with a direct end-user pharmaceutical, government, or research product.

Culture & Benefits

• Work directly with flight hardware in an on-site production and integration environment.
• Potential eligibility for stock options and/or long-term cash awards.
• Inclusive equal-opportunity workplace with evaluation based on merit, qualifications, and performance.