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Varda Space

In-orbit manufacturing with reentry return services

Senior Manufacturing Engineer - Structures

Manufacturing EngineeringConfirmed live in the last 24 hours
Full-timeEl Segundo, CA, USA

About the Job

Requirements

  • A B.S. in Mechanical or Materials Engineering, or a related discipline, is required; equivalent professional experience, typically 3–6+ years, may be considered.
  • At least 3 years of manufacturing experience with structural assembly or manufacturing, such as riveted or welded structures, machined metals, composites, or bonded structures.
  • Strong understanding of structural static loads analysis, mechanical properties of materials, and processes used to assemble riveted and bolted structures.
  • Hands-on experience assembling and fabricating structural assemblies, such as through welding, adhesive bonding, or riveting.
  • Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, GD&T callouts, and structural assembly models.
  • Experience writing and maintaining manufacturing process documentation and work instructions.
  • Ability to diagnose structural build defects and drive corrective action through to closure.
  • Ability to regularly lift 25 pounds, bend, stoop, and stand for extended periods while working directly with hardware.

Responsibilities

  • Own manufacturing processes for composite structures, including wet layup, prepreg, and autoclave or oven cure; machined metallic components; and bonded assemblies.
  • Develop and maintain detailed work instructions, process specifications, and manufacturing travelers for structural build operations.
  • Provide design-for-manufacturing feedback to structural design engineers on composite part design, tooling accessibility, bond joint design, and fastener patterns.
  • Implement and enforce cleanliness, foreign object debris prevention, and contamination control procedures for composite and bonded structure operations.
  • Lead non-conformance investigations and root cause corrective actions for structural build defects and materials issues, including dimensional discrepancies, tolerance stackups, and coating failures or damage to structures or protective coatings.
  • Define and procure tooling, including drill jigs and assembly fixtures, to support production scaling.
  • Refine floor layouts and product flow for structural subassembly work cells to reduce travel time and improve throughput.
  • Coordinate with supply chain on incoming material inspection requirements for composite materials, adhesives, and structural raw stock.

Desired Qualifications

  • An M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering specializing in Materials Science or Structural Analysis, or a related discipline; equivalent professional experience may be considered.
  • Experience manufacturing primary flight structures for launch vehicles, satellites, or reentry systems.
  • Familiarity with dynamic and vibrational loads analysis.
  • Background transitioning structural assemblies from research and development or prototype to rate production, including tooling qualification.
  • Knowledge of manufacturing aerospace structural materials such as aluminum alloys, titanium, and steel.
  • Experience with 3D computer-aided design tools, including CATIA, SolidWorks, or NX, for tooling design and assembly model review.
  • Familiarity with first article inspection processes and FAIR documentation requirements.
  • Prior experience at a new-space or defense prime where structural production cadence was actively being increased.

About the Company

Varda Space

In-orbit manufacturing with reentry return services

Varda Space Industries provides in-space manufacturing by operating production facilities in low Earth orbit and returning finished goods to Earth using reentry capsules. Clients send materials or designs to Varda’s in-orbit production line, where microgravity enables manufacturing processes not possible on Earth. After production, capsules re-enter Earth's atmosphere to deliver goods back to customers, supported by in-orbit equipment and reliable reentry systems. The company aims to make low Earth orbit accessible for multiple industries by building end-to-end space manufacturing infrastructure and industrializing orbit for commercial use.

Company size
201-500
Company stage
Series D
Total funding
$609.5M
Headquarters
El Segundo, CA
Founded
2020

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