About This RoleVarda is building the infrastructure for in-space manufacturing and routine return from orbit. As Environmental Test Lab Manager, you will lead the team and facilities responsible for proving our spacecraft can survive launch, spaceflight, and return to Earth. This is a hands-on leadership role focused on executing fast, rigorous environmental test campaigns that keep flight hardware moving and missions on track.
Responsibilities- Lead day-to-day environmental test lab operations for spacecraft and vehicle hardware
- Plan and execute vibration, shock, thermal, and thermal vacuum test campaigns
- Partner with design, production, integration, and mission teams to define test requirements and priorities
- Build and improve lab processes, procedures, safety practices, and test readiness standards
- Manage lab technicians and test engineers while driving high standards for execution and documentation
- Own equipment readiness, calibration, maintenance, and lab capacity planning
- Support anomaly resolution, failure investigations, and test report generation
- Coordinate outside test support when needed
Basic Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related technical field
- 5+ years of environmental test experience on aerospace or other high-reliability hardware
- Experience with vibe, shock, thermal cycling, and TVAC testing
- Strong leadership, organization, and cross-functional communication skills
- Ability to move quickly and make sound decisions around flight hardware
Preferred Qualifications- Experience testing spacecraft, reentry systems, or launch vehicle hardware
- Familiarity with qualification and acceptance testing in aerospace
- Background with additional test methods such as EMI/EMC, acoustics, leak, or pressure testing
- Experience scaling lab operations in a fast-paced hardware company
Pay Range
- Salary Range: $154,650 - $197,050/per year
- This role is on-sitein El Segundo, CA
- Leveling and base salary is determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance
- You will be eligible for incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards
ITAR Requirements- Varda, like all employers, must ensure that its employees working in the United States are lawfully authorized to work in the U.S. Additionally, our employees are exposed to and have access to certain export-controlled items. At present, some of our technology to which employees have access requires a license to be exported to individuals other than "U.S. Persons" as defined in U.S. export regulations. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our current policy is to only hire "U.S. persons" who are permitted to have access to our technology without an export license.
"US person" means: U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) (i.e., individual admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum in the U.S.)
Learn more about the ITAR here.
Benefits- Exciting team of professionals at the top of their field working by your side
- Equity in a fully funded space startup with potential for significant growth (interns excluded)
- 401(k) matching (interns excluded)
- Unlimited PTO (interns excluded)
- Health insurance, including Vision and Dental
- Lunch and snacks provided on site every day. Dinners provided twice a week.
- Maternity / Paternity leave (interns excluded)
