Varda Space
Senior Manufacturing Engineer (Structures)
$140K–$203K
El Segundo, California, United States · Senior · Full-time · Posted Sep 30, 2026
- Experience
- 3+ years of relevant manufacturing experience; degree qualification typically considers 3–6+ years of equivalent professional experience.
- Education
- B.S. in Mechanical or Materials Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience. Preferred: M.S. in Mechanical Engineering specializing in Materials Science, Structural Analysis, or a related discipline, or 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, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual admitted as a refugee or granted asylum.
About the job
Own and scale manufacturing processes for structural assemblies used in Varda’s reentry capsules and spacecraft.
What you'll do
- Develop and maintain work instructions, process specifications, and manufacturing travelers for structural builds.
- Provide design-for-manufacturing feedback and lead investigations and corrective actions for structural defects.
- Define production tooling and improve structural work-cell layouts and product flow.
What they ask for
- B.S. in Mechanical or Materials Engineering or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience (typically 3–6+ years).
- 3+ years of manufacturing experience with structural assembly or manufacturing, such as riveted or welded structures, machined metals, composites, or bonded structures.
- Hands-on experience fabricating structural assemblies through welding, adhesive bonding, or riveting; understanding of structural static loads, materials, and processes for riveted and bolted structures.
- Ability to interpret engineering drawings, GD&T callouts, and assembly models; experience documenting manufacturing processes and work instructions.
Nice to have
- Experience manufacturing primary flight structures or transitioning structural assemblies from prototype to rate production.
- Experience with CATIA, SolidWorks, or NX; familiarity with FAI processes and FAIR documentation.
Pay
USD 140,333 - 202,703 per year (base salary)
Tools
CATIA, SolidWorks, NX, GD&T
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative