--- title: 'Spacecraft Technician (Avionics Satellite Harness Manufacturing) at Varda Space Industries' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/spacecraft-technician-avionics-satellite-harness-manufacturing-varda-space-q14fqxd3n9cs' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-10' --- # Spacecraft Technician (Avionics Satellite Harness Manufacturing) at Varda Space Industries - **Company:** Varda Space Industries - **Location:** El Segundo California, United States - **Posted:** 2026-08-18 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-10 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/vardaspace/jobs/7895656003 ## Job description ## 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. ## About This Role The Spacecraft Technician ( Avionics Satellite Harness Manufacturing ) is responsible for manufacturing, assembling, inspecting, and testing electrical harnesses used on satellite bus, payload, and spacecraft systems. This role supports the production of flight-quality avionics hardware by following released drawings, schematics, wire lists, work instructions, and quality requirements. The ideal candidate has strong hands-on experience with harness fabrication, connector assembly, crimping, soldering, continuity testing, and flight hardware workmanship standards. This position requires attention to detail, strong documentation, and the ability to work closely with Engineering, Quality, Test, and Production teams. ## Key Responsibilities Harness Manufacturing and Assembly - Manufacture satellite electrical harnesses, cable assemblies, and wire bundles per released drawings and work instructions. - Cut, strip, label, route, and terminate wires to required specifications. - Perform crimping, soldering, splicing, shielding, grounding, and connector assembly. - Install backshells, strain relief, sleeving, heat shrink, shielding, and identification labels. - Maintain proper wire routing, bend radius, service loops, and separation requirements. - Assemble harnesses using form boards, fixtures, and approved tooling. - Support harness layout, mockup, and fit-check activities as needed. Inspection and Testing - Perform continuity, resistance, insulation resistance, and pin-to-pin verification testing. - Use multimeters, hipot testers, breakout boxes, and test equipment as required. - Verify wire identification, connector pinouts, shielding, grounding, and labeling. - Inspect workmanship for damaged wire, improper crimps, solder defects, connector damage, and routing issues. - Support in-process inspection, final inspection, and Quality buy-off. - Document test results and build records accurately. Documentation and Quality - Complete work orders, inspection, and test documentation. - Record serial numbers, lot numbers, tooling information, test results, and nonconformances. - Follow configuration control and released engineering documentation. - Identify drawing, bill of material, or work instruction issues and communicate them to Engineering and Quality. - Support Issues, MRB, rework, repair, and root-cause activities as required. - Maintain traceability for flight hardware, wire, connectors, consumables, and tooling. Safety, Cleanliness, and Compliance - Follow ESD, FOD, cleanroom, and contamination-control procedures. - Maintain a clean and organized workstation. - Use calibrated tools and approved materials. - Follow all safety procedures when using soldering equipment, heat tools, chemicals, and electrical test equipment. - Handle flight hardware with care and follow company workmanship standards. Required Qualifications - High school diploma, GED, technical school certificate, or equivalent hands-on experience. - 5+ years of experience manufacturing electrical harnesses, cable assemblies, avionics hardware, or high-reliability wiring. - Ability to read and understand: - Electrical schematics - Wire lists - Harness drawings - Connector pinout tables - Work instructions - Bill of materials - Experience with crimping, soldering, wire stripping, connector assembly, and harness routing. - Experience using hand tools, crimp tools, soldering tools, heat guns, multimeters, and basic electrical test equipment. - Strong attention to detail and documentation accuracy. - Ability to follow written instructions and quality requirements. - Ability to work independently and within a team environment. ## Preferred Qualifications - Aerospace, satellite, spacecraft, defense or high-reliability electronics experience. - Experience manufacturing flight harnesses or avionics cable assemblies. - Knowledge of IPC/WHMA-A-620, J-STD-001, or NASA workmanship standards. - Experience with ESD-controlled and cleanroom environments. - Experience performing continuity, hipot, insulation resistance, and functional testing. - Experience with D-sub, Micro-D, circular, coax, RF, or high-density connectors. - Experience with shield terminations, drain wires, grounding, and backshell assembly. - Familiarity with NCR, MRB, redlines, ECOs, and configuration control. - Experience working with Engineering and Quality during first builds or prototype builds. Required Skills - Harness manufacturing and fabrication - Wire cutting, stripping, and labeling - Crimping and soldering - Connector assembly - Backshell installation - Continuity and resistance testing - ESD control - FOD prevention - Reading schematics and wire lists - Work instruction compliance - Flight hardware handling - Strong communication - Problem solving - Schedule accountability Physical Requirements - Ability to sit or stand for extended periods while performing detailed harness work. - Ability to use hand tools and small tools for precision assembly. - Ability to lift up to 25–35 lbs as needed. - Ability to work under magnification or with small connector pins and contacts. - Ability to work in an ESD-controlled or cleanroom environment. - Good hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity. Work Environment This role is performed in an aerospace manufacturing, avionics build, and satellite integration environment. Work may be performed at a bench, on form boards, in an ESD area, or near satellite flight hardware. Some overtime, weekend work, or schedule flexibility may be required to support production milestones. Success Criteria A successful Avionics Satellite Harness Manufacturing Technician will: - Manufacture harnesses correctly the first time using released documentation. - Maintain strong workmanship and flight-quality standards. - Complete documentation clearly and accurately. - Identify issues early and communicate them to Engineering, Quality, and Production. - Protect hardware from damage, ESD, contamination, and FOD. - Support production schedules while maintaining safety and quality. Pay Range Technician I: $29.75 to $35 per hour Technician II: $36 to $42 per hour Sr. Technician: $43 to $52 per hour - 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 ## Benefits Consider your benefits covered for launch. At Varda, we invest in benefits and perks that support your health, financial well-being, and life beyond work. Benefits vary by position, with packages designed specifically for our regular full-time employees and interns. Regular Full-Time Positions: 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 Financial & Retirement - 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 Workplace Experience & Perks - 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 Benefits for Internship Positions: Health & Wellness - Paid observed holidays. - 100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options. - $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses. - Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents. Financial - $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement. - Up to $4,000 gross up in relocation support, if eligible - Up to $850 commute credit through Lyft or car rental reimbursement, if eligible. Workplace Experience & Perks - 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 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. 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](https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.e-verify.gov%2Femployees%2Fe-verify-overview&data=05%7C01%7Ctyree%40varda.com%7C22201ef47a8142f3b0a708dbd0f6e47b%7C1b36161382e94a8784f78a213228882f%7C0%7C0%7C638333531041144158%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=3toCq47V%2FiQtV%2B5rEKFG0tfg0yXkNTv4SuLE2Xy40Rk%3D&reserved=0) 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. ## About Varda Space Industries ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Varda Space Industries is building the first commercial orbital manufacturing and reentry infrastructure to produce materials in microgravity and return them to Earth for terrestrial benefit. - **Entity Type**: Private (backed by major venture capital) - **Headquarters**: El Segundo, California, USA (with an additional office in Washington, D.C.) - **Founded**: January 2021 - **Founders**: Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov ## Core Business - **Primary industries**: Space infrastructure, biopharmaceutical manufacturing, microgravity research, government/defense - **Target customers**: Biopharma companies (for drug development), government agencies (for hypersonic flight testing and research), academic and commercial microgravity researchers - **Mission**: Expand the economic bounds of humankind by creating products and infrastructure so space can directly benefit life on Earth ## Products & Services - **W-Series Spacecraft (W-1 through W-6)**: A free-flying orbital production satellite with integrated reentry capsule. Varda builds the entire spacecraft end-to-end in its El Segundo facility. The capsule reenters Earth’s atmosphere at Mach 25, lands via parachute, and is recovered with its payload for post-flight analysis. Missions serve pharmaceutical processing (heating, mixing, cooling in microgravity), government payloads, and autonomous hypersonic flight testing. - **Orbital Pharmaceutical Processing Platform**: Purpose-built equipment that operates in orbit to produce novel crystal structures and formulations that are impossible to create on Earth. ## Market Standing - **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed - **Key Metric**: Total funding not publicly disclosed, but the company has “significant backing” from world-class investors. A recent milestone is a research collaboration with United Therapeutics to advance microgravity-enabled treatments for rare pulmonary disease (announced via PRNewswire, 2025/2026). - **Notable Investors / Partners**: Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Caffeinated Capital, General Catalyst, Also Capital; collaboration with United Therapeutics - **Growth Signals**: Six missions (W-1 through W-6) launched or announced; W-6 is the first launch of 2026; vehicle and heatshield built in-house; expanding workforce with ~94 open positions as of mid-2026 ## Competitive Advantages - **End-to-end ownership**: Varda designs, builds, integrates, and tests all vehicles and equipment in-house, enabling rapid iteration and high flight cadence. - **First commercial reentry capability**: The W-Series is the first-ever commercial satellite and reentry vehicle built specifically for returning materials from orbit, completing the logistics chain from launch to recovery. - **Experienced team**: Leadership and staff include veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies, and Silicon Valley. - **Hypersonic flight heritage**: The capsule reenters at over 18,000 mph (Mach 25), providing a unique testbed for hypersonic and reentry technologies. ## Strategic Focus - **Scale orbital manufacturing**: Increase flight frequency and payload capacity to serve biopharma and government customers at commercial scale. - **Deepen partnerships**: Expand collaborations with pharmaceutical companies (e.g., United Therapeutics) and government agencies for microgravity R&D and hypersonic testing. - **Build infrastructure for the orbital economy**: Make reentry as common as launch, enabling a steady supply chain from space to Earth. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: Varda describes itself as “bold,” “down to earth,” and “ambitious.” Employees work on unsolved problems across multiple fields, requiring confidence to forge new paths when there isn’t a known correct answer. - **Work environment**: On-site roles at the El Segundo office and production facility. The team values technical rigor and a healthy dose of acumen, with conversations spanning polypeptide crystallization and ablation dynamics of thermal protection systems. - **Benefits**: Competitive salaries, company equity, comprehensive benefits, catered meals. The company is an equal opportunity employer and seeks diverse backgrounds. - **Growth opportunity**: With 94 current job openings (many in engineering, software, propulsion, payloads, and internships), Varda is actively scaling and offers the chance to build “the first industrial park off our home planet.” ## Sources 1. [varda.com/company](https://www.varda.com/company) 2. [varda.com/](https://www.varda.com/) 3. [varda.com/careers](https://www.varda.com/careers) 4. [job-boards.greenhouse.io/vardaspace](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/vardaspace) 5. [varda.com/platform](https://www.varda.com/platform) 6. [PRNewswire – Varda & United Therapeutics collaboration](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/varda-space-industries-and-united-therapeutics-collaborate-to-advance-microgravity-enabled-treatments-for-rare-pulmonary-disease-302770786.html) ## Other roles at Varda Space Industries - [Construction Project Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/construction-project-engineer-varda-space-industries-el-segundo-california-fefxmccvwvf3) — El Segundo California, United States - [W Series Vehicle Scheduler](https://feeny.ai/job/w-series-vehicle-scheduler-varda-space-industries-el-segundo-california-apepzdt8j4kc) — El Segundo California, United States - [Launch and Recovery Engineering Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/launch-and-recovery-engineering-manager-varda-space-industries-el-segundo-mq52j1nbcpp1) — El Segundo California, United States - [Propulsion Engineer II - Hardware and Bus Systems](https://feeny.ai/job/propulsion-engineer-ii-hardware-and-bus-systems-varda-space-industries-el-mq4svdk8gj6a) — El Segundo California, United States - [Recruiting Coordinator](https://feeny.ai/job/recruiting-coordinator-varda-space-industries-el-segundo-california-j74bp5hw51e2) — El Segundo California, United States - [Mission Assurance Engineer II - Build Reliability, Spacecraft](https://feeny.ai/job/mission-assurance-engineer-ii-build-reliability-spacecraft-varda-space-7hcwt1n40e4d) — El Segundo California, United States - [Spacecraft Build Reliability Engineer II](https://feeny.ai/job/spacecraft-build-reliability-engineer-ii-varda-space-industries-el-segundo-fvg0fvpetywa) — El Segundo California, United States - [Senior Spacecraft Build Reliability Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-spacecraft-build-reliability-engineer-varda-space-industries-el-segundo-5pqdrvmjejvj) — El Segundo California, United States - [Spacecraft Electronics Systems Engineer II](https://feeny.ai/job/spacecraft-electronics-systems-engineer-ii-varda-space-industries-el-segundo-ctzffvgq63g5) — El Segundo California, United States - [Senior Spacecraft Avionics Systems Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-spacecraft-avionics-systems-engineer-varda-space-industries-el-segundo-yyzq1akhmpxh) — El Segundo California, United States