Senior Space Build Reliability Engineer

About the role

At Varda, Build Reliability Engineers partner closely with the design and manufacturing teams to right-size processes and controls to enable scaling the production of spacecraft hardware. Build Reliability Engineers ensure production processes yield verified, reliable hardware at rate. You will flex beyond Build Reliability to support Quality, Flight Reliability, and Mission Assurance. The ideal candidate is a responsible, collaborative, process-oriented engineer with hands-on hardware design/test/manufacturing/troubleshooting experience.

Responsibilities

• Partner with design engineering and manufacturing teams to create test, manufacturability, and inspection plans for all vehicle hardware.
• Contain suspect or known non-conforming product, providing guidance to quality inspectors, technicians, shop supervisors, and engineers.
• Lead failure investigations in production, test, and operation; identifying and mitigating immediate and underlying root causes to reduce risk and improve the reliability of designs and processes.
• Provide critical peer review of hardware during design reviews and acceptance and qualification test campaigns.
• Perform failure modes and effects analyses, build requirements compliance matrix tools, and ensure adequate test coverage, change management, and manufacturability of flight hardware.
• Own vehicle level deliverables for regulatory bodies including requirements compliance, functional or flight hazard analyses, and verification evidence.
• Support Mission Assurance's vehicle level risk management and identification / tracking / execution of mitigations.

Requirements

• 5+ years professional experience in aerospace, design, quality, or related engineering role.
• Bachelor's degree in aerospace, computer science, electrical, manufacturing, mechanical, or material sciences engineering.
• Commitment to lean quality principles without compromising safety or reliability.
• Hands-on hardware test, qualification, troubleshooting, or failure analysis experience.
• Demonstrated application of process controls in high volume manufacturing, test, and quality environments.
• Experience generating, processing, and/or analyzing data for production insight.
• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills, with a drive to innovate and improve reliability in cutting-edge technology.

Preferred Qualifications

• Full project lifecycle ownership experience (cradle-to-grave).
• Proficiency with 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 effects analysis (PFMEA), control plans, and various problem-solving approaches.
• Hands-on knowledge of CNC machining, additive manufacturing, casting, welding, fastening, or other special manufacturing processes.

Pay

Salary range: $140,000 - $179,000 annually. Leveling and base salary is determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance. Offer compensation also includes the ability to receive stock options under the Company's Equity Incentive Plan.

Schedule

This role is on-site in El Segundo, CA.

Benefits

• Flexible PTO policy + 12 paid holidays
• 100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options
• Voluntary accident, hospital, critical illness, and pet insurance
• $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses
• 12 weeks of parental leave (with supplemental disability leave for CA mothers)
• Family building, pregnancy, parenting and menopause benefits via Maven Clinic
• Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents
• Substantial incentive equity in a fully funded space start-up
• 401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match (immediately vested)
• $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement
• Relocation support for new hires, if needed
• 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 requires employees to be "U.S. persons" (U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)).