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Senior Manufacturing Engineer (Propulsion)

Varda Space Industries · El Segundo, CA

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Level
Senior
Team
Manufacturing
Base pay
$140k–$179k
Degree
Required
Experience asked
6+ years
Industry
Aerospace & defense
Posted
Today

The role in 30 seconds

A senior manufacturing role at Varda Space Industries (aerospace & defense) in El Segundo, CA. You will have the opportunity to utilize your experience to scale manufacturing from a few bespoke vehicles to many consistent, concurrent builds.

They ask for
6+ years · degree required
Tools it names
Root cause, Machining, Welding, Tooling
Base pay
$140k–$179k
Openings
5 with this title at this site

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026

Manufacturing Engineer roles in California: typical posted base $114k–$167k. This one lists $140k–$179k.

Median of the low and high ends of 117 live postings that list pay, out of 320 manufacturing engineer openings in California, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.

California plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →

How this role compares

Against 319 other live manufacturing postings in California.

Base pay
About 20% above similar roles

Typical $111k–$157k, from 104 postings that list pay.

Experience asked
More than usual (6+ vs 5+)

Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.

Skills these teams ask for most

  • ✓ Tooling 53%
  • ✓ New product launch 51%
  • ✓ Root cause 40%
  • Automation 35%
  • ✓ Machining 29%
  • CATIA / NX 29%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

It asks for 6+ years. If you're close, apply anyway: requirements are a wish list. Talk to someone doing this work there first.

At a glance

Lifts up to 25 lbs

Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.

How to get in at this plant

Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.

  1. 1

    Pick 2–3 people on the Manufacturing team at Varda Space Industries

    Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.

  2. 2

    Send a short, curious note

    One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.

  3. 3

    Turn a reply into a short call

    Questions worth asking about this team:

    • What does a normal week look like on your team?
    • Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
    • How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
    • How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
  4. 4

    Apply with someone vouching for you

    If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.

  5. 5

    Bring proof to the interview

    One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.

This plant: Varda Space Industries in El Segundo

8 other open roles at this site.

All 9 roles at Varda Space Industries →
Full description from Varda Space IndustriesAs posted on their careers site.Show

Responsibilities

  • ◆Own end-to-end manufacturing processes for propulsion system production: valve assembly, tube fabrication, pressure vessel integration, and engine integration
  • ◆Develop and maintain work instructions, process traveler documents, and process specifications for high-pressure fluid systems and propulsion hardware
  • ◆Provide technical direction to improve propulsion build processes and drive increased vehicle production cadence
  • ◆Implement and enforce propulsion-specific cleanliness protocols, contamination control procedures, and propellant compatibility

requirements

  • ✓Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions (RCCA) for propulsion non-conformances, including leak events, contamination findings, and assembly defects
  • ✓Define tooling and test equipment

requirements

for tube shop operations, leak checks, and propulsion acceptance testing

  • ✓Collaborate with design engineers and supply chain to prevent schedule delays and resolve incoming hardware quality issues
  • ✓Refine propulsion work cell layouts and product flow to support cadence increase and concurrent vehicle builds

Basic

Qualifications

  • ✓B.S. in Mechanical, Manufacturing, or a related discipline, with consideration given to equivalent professional experience (typically 3–6+ years)
  • ✓3+ years of manufacturing experience with propulsion systems, fluid systems, or high-pressure hardware in aerospace or a related industry
  • ✓Hands-on experience with tube fabrication, tube bending, tube fitting installation, and high-pressure fluid system assembly
  • ✓Familiarity with propulsion system cleanliness requirements, cleanliness verification methods, and contamination control procedures
  • ✓Experience reading and interpreting engineering drawings, P&IDs, and assembly models for fluid systems
  • ✓Strong first principles problem-solving capability; able to diagnose propulsion build defects and drive corrective action to closure
  • ✓Must be physically able to regularly lift 25 lbs., bend, stoop, and stand for extended periods while working directly with flight hardware

Preferred Skills and Experience

  • ✓M.S. degree in Mechanical engineering specialized in Fluid Mechanics, Process Engineering, or related discipline
  • ✓Experience manufacturing and assembling propulsion systems for launch vehicles, spacecraft, or hypersonic vehicles, including valve assembly and pressure vessel integration
  • ✓Experience with high pressure fluid systems testing, or qualification of assemblies including energetics and explosives.
  • ✓Experience with materials including metals, composites, and plastics for use in propulsion systems.
  • ✓Experience with manufacturing methods relevant to propulsion systems, including welding, orbital welding, machining and additive manufacturing.
  • ✓Experience with NDE, including ultrasonic testing, dye penetrant, xray and others.
  • ✓Prior work transitioning propulsion assemblies from development to production environments with increasing build rate
  • ✓Familiarity with hazardous materials handling and safety protocols associated with propellant loading and propulsion acceptance testing

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. B

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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

As the Senior Propulsion Manufacturing Engineer at Varda, you will have the opportunity to utilize your experience to scale manufacturing from a few bespoke vehicles to many consistent, concurrent builds. This role supports propulsion system production, including valve assembly, tube fabrication, pressure vessel integration, and engine integration. The Propulsion ME owns manufacturing processes for high-pressure fluid systems and propulsion hardware from tube shop operations through acceptance testing. Manufacturing Engineers are a vital part of increasing Varda's build cadence, working directly with design engineers and technicians across the full range of processes required to manufacture our vehicles. The focus of the job is to implement incremental improvement for every vehicle Varda produces.

Pay Range

  • •Salary Range: $140,333- $179,314/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 incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards

ITAR

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