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Senior RF Hardware 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. 

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 an office in Washington, D.C.  

Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.

 

 

About this Role 

As a Sr. RF Hardware Engineer at Varda, you will be a leader of our satellite vehicle comms system. You’ll own the end to end hardware allowing our satellite to make contact with the ground, including the up and down link radios, amplifiers, passives, and antennas.

Some people say that you only have one chance to fly to space so you must be certain it will work. At Varda, we believe that the trip to space and back is the easiest trip our hardware takes. We stress our components above and beyond the levels it should expect to see in flight and we investigate our failures thoroughly. Come join our team and build quality electronics that you will get to see fly over and over again.

Responsibilities 

  • Avionics subject matter expert for satellite bus comms network. You’ll be responsible for the architecture and hardware ownership
  • Responsible engineer for the satellite radio. Scope, design, and own the component through the full product lifecycle. Innovate fault tolerance and bring your spin on reliability for our application.
  • Actively collaborate with flight software and other subsystem subject matter experts on overall system needs and constraints.
  • Ultimate ownership of product acceptance and qualification testing for space environments (Thermal, Vibe, Shock, TVAC, and EMI) with support from the Avionics Test team.
  • Collaborate with mechanical designers on packaging and integration for hardware – design for easy assembly, environments robustness, and repeatability.
  • Provide direction on system-level validation tests and integration test plans to verify the vehicle is ready for flight.
  • Perform root cause analysis on test failures and implement holistic mitigation strategies for flight risks.
  • Mentor junior engineers on their projects, challenges, and design methodologies setting a high bar for the future leaders of Varda.

 

Basic Qualifications 

  • B.S. in Electrical or Computer Engineer or related field with 6+ years of direct experience in electronics hardware development.
  • Demonstrated experience contributing to vehicle avionics architectures and bringing them to flight.
  • Strong hands-on experience with VNAs, oscilloscopes, function generators, benchtop digital multimeters, and power supplies.
  • Proven experience developing electrical circuit boards and delivering a working product.
  • Knowledge of signal integrity, power, grounding, and general board layout principles.
  • Experience programming in Python, MATLAB, or another scripting/data analysis language.
  • Deep understanding of state-of-the-art communication protocols, their standards, and a demonstrated ability to implement across a vehicle architecture

 

Preferred Skills and Experience 

  • B.S. in Electrical or Computer Engineer or related field with 6+ years of direct experience in electronics hardware development.
  • Strong hands-on experience with VNAs, spectrum analyzers, oscilloscopes, function generators, benchtop digital multimeters, and power supplies.
  • Knowledge of signal integrity, power, grounding, and general board layout principles.
  • Experience programming in Python, MATLAB, or another scripting/data analysis language.
  • Deep understanding of state-of-the-art communication protocols, their standards, and a demonstrated ability to implement across a vehicle architecture

Pay Range

  • $160,000.00 - $195,000.00/per year
  • This role is on-site in 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 long-term incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards
  • Offer compensation also includes the ability to purchase company stock through the Employee Stock Purchase Plan

 

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
  • Working in El Segundo, CA - an awesome Southern California beach city with quick access to entertainment and outdoor activities
  • 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)

 

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.

 

 

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

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