Applications Engineer - Engineering

About This Role

Varda is seeking an Engineering Applications Engineer to lead the development, deployment, improvement, and management of all engineering applications. You will manage implementation from opportunity identification through sustainment, working cross‑functionally across engineering teams to integrate tools, ensure compliance, and scale to support hardware and software development workflows. Projects will drive cycle time, cost, decision making, risk, and configuration control improvements. This position reports to the Director of Enterprise Applications and is located in our El Segundo headquarters.

• Own the engineering systems stack (PLM, CAD/PDM, MBSE, change management) including daily administration, data integrity, configuration control, vendor escalations, and release cycles.
• Map and re‑engineer engineering workflows to eliminate manual handoffs and improve data capture at the source.
• Build internal applications (low‑code and custom‑built) and ETL pipelines that connect engineering tools to the broader enterprise data layer.
• Design analytics dashboards and reports in Power BI, SQL, and Python to surface decisions for engineering and manufacturing leaders.
• Build, pilot, and deploy AI‑powered tools, including LLM‑based agents and generative tooling to streamline engineering workflows.
• Support AS9100 and CMMC compliance documentation and partner with IT/Infosec on access and audit readiness.
• Lead training and enablement that drives adoption and reduces shadow IT across engineering.

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 3+ years of experience supporting or managing enterprise engineering applications (PLM, CAD/PDM, MBSE, or engineering change management tools).
• Demonstrated experience building reports and dashboards in a BI platform (Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent).
• Comfortable gathering requirements directly from end users and iterating prototypes to production.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to produce system design documentation, SOPs, and training materials for non‑technical engineering stakeholders.

• Direct experience administering PLM platforms (Teamcenter, Windchill, Arena) or CAD data management systems (Solid Works PDM, Vault).
• Familiarity with engineering data domains (BOM structures, CAD metadata, change order workflows) and aerospace engineering data standards.
• Experience with MBSE tool chains (CAMEO, Capella) and engineering change management workflows.
• Experience with AS9100 and/or CMMC compliance documentation and audit support.
• Hands‑on experience with ETL tools (Alteryx, dbt, SSIS, or Informatica) and cloud data platforms (Snowflake, Databricks, AWS Redshift).
• Track record of building workflow automation or custom tooling with quantifiable outcomes such as hours saved, error reduction, or user adoption metrics.
• Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), Project Management Professional (PMP), or Lean Six Sigma certification.

Engineering Applications Engineer – $110,000 – $130,000 base salary. Leveling and base salary are determined by job‑related skills, education, experience, and performance. You will be eligible for long‑term incentives (stock options and/or long‑term cash awards) and may purchase company stock through the Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

• Equity in a fully funded space startup with potential for significant growth.
• 401(k) matching.
• Unlimited PTO.
• Health insurance, including vision and dental.
• Lunch and snacks provided on site every day; dinners provided twice a week.
• Paid maternity / paternity leave.

Varda Space Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates and employees are always evaluated based on merit, qualifications, and performance. We will never discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.

Varda Space Industries, Inc. participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E‑Verify program.