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New
Spacecraft Ground Systems Software Engineer
El Segundo, California, United States
About Varda
Low Earth orbit is open for business. Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules. Varda’s W-Series vehicles are built, designed, and operated by Varda in-house, including the pharmaceutical processing payloads, the capsules, the C-PICA heat shields, and the satellite buses.
From life-saving pharmaceuticals to more powerful fiber optics, there is a world of products used on Earth today that can only be manufactured in space. Varda is accelerating innovation in the orbital economy by creating both the products and infrastructure needed so space can directly benefit life on Earth. Our mission is to expand the economic bounds of humankind.
Our team is uniquely suited to accomplishing this goal, with leadership and staff comprised of veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies and Silicon Valley. Varda was founded in January 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov with significant backing from world class investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Caffeinated Capital, General Catalyst, and Also Capital.
Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California, where we have offices and a production facility where our vehicles, equipment, and materials are built, integrated, and tested. Varda also has offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.
Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.
What You Will Do (Job Responsibilities)
The Mission Software team is responsible for Varda's critical ground segment software, and the platform it runs on which enables spacecraft operations. We operate at the intersection of telemetry and commanding, data acquisition and distribution, mission control interfaces, simulation and test automation, with reliable deployment across lab, test range, and mission operations environments. You'll work hands-on with flight software, avionics, RF/ground systems, and mission ops.
Varda offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support health, financial well‑being, and a high‑quality workplace experience. Below is an overview of what full‑time employees receive (at this time, interns receive a subset of benefits):
Health & Wellness
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. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our 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).
E-Verify Statement
Varda Space Industries, Inc. participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E-Verify program. The E-Verify program is an Internet-based employment eligibility verification system operated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Learn more about the E-Verify program.
E-Verify Notice Right To Work Notice
Read more Read more
Varda Space Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates and employees are always evaluated based on merit, qualifications, and performance. We will never discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, martial status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.
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Are you a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by the ITAR requirements stated above?*
Select...
Will you now, or in the future, require sponsorship to work in the United States?*
Select...
This role requires working full-time on-site at our El Segundo, CA office. Are you willing and able to work on-site?*
Select...
Have you worked on a safety critical software or system? If so, what was the application?*
LinkedIn Profile or Website
Voluntary Self-Identification
For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.
As set forth in Varda Space Industries’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.
Gender
Select...
Are you Hispanic/Latino?
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions
If You Believe You Belong To Any Of The Categories Of Protected Veterans Listed Below, Please Indicate By Making The Appropriate Selection. As a Government Contractor Subject To The Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), We Request This Information In Order To Measure The Effectiveness Of The Outreach And Positive Recruitment Efforts We Undertake Pursuant To VEVRAA. Classification Of Protected Categories Is As Follows
A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.
A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.
An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.
An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.
Veteran Status
Select...
Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability
Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026
Why are you being asked to complete this form?
We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.
Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.
How do you know if you have a disability?
A Disability Is a Condition That Substantially Limits One Or More Of Your “major Life Activities.” If You Have Or Have Ever Had Such a Condition, You Are a Person With a Disability. Disabilities Include, But Are Not Limited To
Select...
PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.
New
Spacecraft Ground Systems Software Engineer
El Segundo, California, United States
About Varda
Low Earth orbit is open for business. Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules. Varda’s W-Series vehicles are built, designed, and operated by Varda in-house, including the pharmaceutical processing payloads, the capsules, the C-PICA heat shields, and the satellite buses.
From life-saving pharmaceuticals to more powerful fiber optics, there is a world of products used on Earth today that can only be manufactured in space. Varda is accelerating innovation in the orbital economy by creating both the products and infrastructure needed so space can directly benefit life on Earth. Our mission is to expand the economic bounds of humankind.
Our team is uniquely suited to accomplishing this goal, with leadership and staff comprised of veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies and Silicon Valley. Varda was founded in January 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov with significant backing from world class investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Caffeinated Capital, General Catalyst, and Also Capital.
Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California, where we have offices and a production facility where our vehicles, equipment, and materials are built, integrated, and tested. Varda also has offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.
Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.
What You Will Do (Job Responsibilities)
The Mission Software team is responsible for Varda's critical ground segment software, and the platform it runs on which enables spacecraft operations. We operate at the intersection of telemetry and commanding, data acquisition and distribution, mission control interfaces, simulation and test automation, with reliable deployment across lab, test range, and mission operations environments. You'll work hands-on with flight software, avionics, RF/ground systems, and mission ops.
- Own Ground Segment Services: Develop and maintain high-reliability services for telemetry ingestion, scaling, distribution, and commanding. Ensure deterministic behavior for real-time operations and post-flight analysis.
- Mission Control Interfaces: Deliver operator-grade UIs and dashboards that optimize "ops time" and reduce cognitive load across integration, test, and on-orbit operations phases.
- Simulation and Test Automation: Build tools to run flight-software simulations, device emulators, and scenario-based automated tests - enabling fast, safe iteration for avionics, GNC, and operations teams.
- Build the Mission Platform: Design, implement, and productionize software for mission and ground software teams. Standardize CI/CD pipelines, artifact management, service templates, infrastructure-as-code, simulation and hardware-in-the-loop frameworks, test harnesses, and observability - all delivered as self-service tooling.
- Deployments Across Environments: Create robust deployment patterns for lab benches, test stands, and mission networks. Implement safe rollout/rollback strategies and air-gapped or limited-connectivity deployment approaches.
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, math, physics, engineering or equivalent technical experience in safety critical software.
- 3 years of experience in the development of spacecraft or similar safety critical software.
- Expertise with development in Python, along with a strong understanding of the language concepts.
- Have strong systems fundamentals: concurrency, networking, performance, reliability.
- Experience building real-time data acquisition, scaling, and distribution services - low-latency messaging, time-series and relational stores.
- Hands-on experience with CI/CD, dependency/build systems, and infrastructure-as-code.
- End-to-end observability experience: logging, metrics, tracing.
- Docker/Kubernetes; release management, phased rollouts, and operational readiness for controlled networks.
- Proficiency in C , Ansible, and/or NiceGUI.
- Experience with DAQ and closed-loop control (lab/test control environments).
- Prior work on CI/testing/simulation/data tools integrated with flight software teams.
- Experience with requirements, test, and certification artifacts from safety-critical or certified workflows.
- Knowledge of ground systems standards; security in mission networks.
- Experience building mission-grade UIs with structured command workflows, alarming, and situational awareness.
- Salary range: $131,000 - $184,000 annually.
- Leveling and base salary is determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance.
- Offer compensation also includes the ability to receive stock options under the Company's Equity Incentive Plan.
- This role is on-site in El Segundo, CA.
Varda offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support health, financial well‑being, and a high‑quality workplace experience. Below is an overview of what full‑time employees receive (at this time, interns receive a subset of benefits):
Health & Wellness
- Flexible PTO policy 12 paid holidays
- 100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options
- Voluntary accident, hospital, critical illness, and pet insurance
- $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses
- 12 weeks of parental leave (with supplemental disability leave for CA mothers)
- Family building, pregnancy, parenting and menopause benefits via Maven Clinic
- Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents
- Substantial incentive equity in a fully funded space start-up
- 401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match (immediately vested)
- $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement
- Relocation support for new hires, if needed
- Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly
- Company and team-bonding events, happy hours and mission-success celebrations
- Complimentary EV charging
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. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our 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).
E-Verify Statement
Varda Space Industries, Inc. participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E-Verify program. The E-Verify program is an Internet-based employment eligibility verification system operated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Learn more about the E-Verify program.
E-Verify Notice Right To Work Notice
Read more Read more
Varda Space Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates and employees are always evaluated based on merit, qualifications, and performance. We will never discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, martial status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.
Create a Job Alert
Interested in building your career at Varda Space Industries? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.
Create alert
Apply for this job
indicates a required field
First Name*
Last Name*
Preferred First Name
Email*
Phone
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Phone
244 results found
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Cover Letter
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Are you a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by the ITAR requirements stated above?*
Select...
Will you now, or in the future, require sponsorship to work in the United States?*
Select...
This role requires working full-time on-site at our El Segundo, CA office. Are you willing and able to work on-site?*
Select...
Have you worked on a safety critical software or system? If so, what was the application?*
LinkedIn Profile or Website
Voluntary Self-Identification
For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.
As set forth in Varda Space Industries’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.
Gender
Select...
Are you Hispanic/Latino?
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions
If You Believe You Belong To Any Of The Categories Of Protected Veterans Listed Below, Please Indicate By Making The Appropriate Selection. As a Government Contractor Subject To The Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), We Request This Information In Order To Measure The Effectiveness Of The Outreach And Positive Recruitment Efforts We Undertake Pursuant To VEVRAA. Classification Of Protected Categories Is As Follows
A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.
A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.
An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.
An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.
Veteran Status
Select...
Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability
Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026
Why are you being asked to complete this form?
We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.
Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.
How do you know if you have a disability?
A Disability Is a Condition That Substantially Limits One Or More Of Your “major Life Activities.” If You Have Or Have Ever Had Such a Condition, You Are a Person With a Disability. Disabilities Include, But Are Not Limited To
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PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.
Salary : $131,000 - $184,000