Manager, Vehicle Systems, Integration Test

Position: Manager, Vehicle Systems, Integration, & Test
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. Varda’s W-Series vehicles are built, designed, and operated by Varda in-house, including the pharmaceutical processing payloads, the capsules, the C-PICA heat shields, and the satellite buses.

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.

Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.

About this Role The Vehicle Systems, Integration, & Test team is a multidisciplinary team working across the full lifecycle of satellite development from defining requirements through systems test. The team is responsible for each vehicle and ensures all systems are ready for launch and operations. This is a leadership role within the Systems, Integration, and Test team that will drive the processes and playbooks to consistently deliver robust and evolving vehicles to space.

Responsibilities Mentor and manage a team of engineers, including hiring and performance management

Own engineering development roadmap to sustain increasing flight cadence

Lead team to develop vehicle integration and test campaigns to ensure flight readiness

Manage the technical outcome and milestone schedule to enable the delivery of vehicles on schedule

Develop frameworks to evaluate vehicle change impacts and drive execution of vehicle-level change implementation

Stay hands-on with vehicle integration and test – get out on the floor and execute with the team when necessary

Basic QualificationsB.S. degree in engineering, physics, or related field and 5+ years of experience in systems, integration, and/or test engineering

Experience with mentoring team members and comfortable in providing feedback to support professional or technical growth.

Teamwork, communication, and problem solving in a collaborative environment Proven experience working on complex technical programs, preferably within aerospace or related industries Strong first principles thinking and technical breadth across relevant fields (structures, electronics, propulsion, software, etc.)Technical depth in electronics, fluid propulsion, and/or systems engineering

Preferred Skills and Experience

Experience with project management of the full lifecycle of a project Experience developing and communicating project technical roadmaps

Experience with one or more general-purpose programming languages, such as C++ & Python

Experience with aerospace hardware development practices (e.g., qualification testing practices, design for typical space environments, cleanliness, etc.)  Unigraphics NX experience or similar CAD software

Pay Range Salary range: $170,280 - $245,960/per year

This role is on-site in El…