Varda Space
Principal Manufacturing Engineer (Payloads)
$182K–$263K
El Segundo, California, United States · Principal · Full-time · Posted Oct 7, 2026
- Experience
- 6+ years; the education qualification notes equivalent professional experience, typically 6–10+ years.
- Education
- B.S. in Mechanical, Biomedical Engineering, or a related discipline, with consideration given to equivalent professional experience.
- Visa sponsorship
- Must be a U.S. person permitted to access the company’s technology without an export license: a 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 manufacturing, assembly, integration, and verification processes for Varda’s spacecraft payloads, coordinating with customers and internal teams to ensure flight readiness.
What you'll do
- Develop and maintain assembly instructions, process specifications, acceptance tests, and traceable build records.
- Translate customer requirements into production processes; manage cleanliness controls, testing, non-conformances, and corrective actions.
- Coordinate payload integration milestones and provide design-for-manufacturing and assembly feedback.
What they ask for
- B.S. in Mechanical, Biomedical Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
- 6+ years manufacturing or integrating complex electromechanical assemblies, scientific instruments, or payload systems.
- Experience building precision hardware to tight tolerances and cleanliness requirements, and developing assembly procedures and acceptance test plans.
- Ability to interpret engineering drawings, ICDs, and assembly models; familiarity with GD&T and interface requirement management.
Nice to have
- M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or a related discipline; spacecraft payload or scientific-instrument experience.
- Familiarity with pharmaceutical or bioprocessing manufacturing, contamination control, cleanrooms, environmental testing, or payload integration.
Pay
USD 181,913 - 262,763 per year (base salary)
Tools
ICD (Interface Control Document), GD&T, GMP, ISO Class 7
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative