Varda Space
Payload Systems Integration & Test Engineer II
$120K–$173K
El Segundo, California, United States · Full-time · Posted Sep 15, 2026
- Experience
- 2+ years.
- Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical, Chemical, Systems Engineering, or other relevant field.
- Visa sponsorship
- Must be a U.S. person permitted to access the company’s technology without an export license (U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)).
About the job
Owns assigned spacecraft payloads from scoping through post-flight delivery, including defining interfaces, coordinating vehicle changes, and planning and executing integration, testing, and flight operations.
What you'll do
- Lead assigned payloads through their mission lifecycle and serve as the technical contact for payload providers and customers.
- Define payload requirements and interfaces, coordinate payload-specific vehicle changes, and plan and execute integration and environmental testing.
- Coordinate payload flight operations and support on-console operations, troubleshooting issues through integration, flight, and recovery.
What they ask for
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical, Chemical, Systems Engineering, or another relevant field.
- 2+ years of experience integrating and testing spacecraft, payloads, or comparably complex electro-mechanical hardware.
- Experience owning a hardware element through an integration and test campaign.
- Ability to manage concurrent hardware efforts against fixed schedule milestones; comfortable hands-on in a cleanroom and able to regularly lift 25 lbs.
Nice to have
- Experience integrating hosted or customer-furnished payloads onto a spacecraft or launch vehicle.
- Experience with interface control documents, requirements, verification/validation plans, aerospace environmental testing, or regulated-industry hardware and quality practices.
Pay
USD 119,543 - USD 172,673 per year (base salary)
Tools
ICDs, vibration, EMI/EMC, TVAC, GSFC-STD-7000, SMC-S-016
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative