About this RoleVarda is seeking a Trajectory Analysis Engineer to fill a flight safety analyst and reentry compliance role. Joining our Mission Assurance team, you will produce the Flight Safety Analysis and regulatory strategy required for FAA Part 450 and Range Safety licensing. This is a highly cross-functional role that bridges the gap between complex engineering trades and regulatory approval. From defining safety-critical verification artifacts during design to supporting live on-console operations, you will ensure our flight hardware is verified and our reentry methodologies are mathematically sound.
Responsibilities- Perform flight safety analyses for each mission, with a focus on failure mode trajectory modeling and debris field containment.
- Execute the technical regulatory strategy, Methods of Compliance, and safety cases for FAA launch and reentry authorizations.
- Complete vehicle-level functional hazard analyses (FHA) and failure mode and effect analyses (FMEA).
- Act as the Flight Safety responsible engineer during mission rehearsals and live recovery operations.
- Establish technical safety limits and mission rules for real-time on-console operations.
- Responsible for vehicle-level deliverables to regulatory organizations, in the service of mission reentry licenses and authorizations.
Basic Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, systems engineering or related field.
- Demonstrated ownership and execution of a complex engineering project, cradle-to-grave.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence cross-functional teams and present to executives/customers/regulators.
- Strong experience with risk management methodologies and tools (FMEA, FHA, Fault Tree Analysis).
- Experience with integration of interdisciplinary systems in the aerospace industry.
Preferred Skills and Experience- Demonstrated experience with FAA Part 450, expected casualty modeling, trajectory dispersion, and/or debris analysis.
- Demonstrated safety critical mission operations in aviation or space applications.
- Proven experience navigating the FCC Part 25 (Commercial) or Part 5 (Experimental) licensing process, for satellite and reentry communications.
- Dedicated to adopting a lean approach to quality without compromising safety or reliability.
Pay Range- Salary range: $104,000 - $145,000/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)
