Top Tech Jobs & Startup Jobs in Los Angeles, CA

Develop and own precision fluid-handling payloads for pharmaceutical manufacturing in microgravity, from concept through design, analysis, integration, testing, launch, on-orbit operation, recovery, and iteration. Design valves, pumps, manifolds, tubing, seals, filters, sensors, and thermal-control systems; perform fluid, thermal, structural, and mechanism analyses; lead prototype and flight-hardware testing; define requirements and verification plans; coordinate cross-functional teams; and mentor junior engineers.

Lead the architecture, design, analysis, integration, testing, launch, recovery, and troubleshooting of complex electromechanical payload hardware for spaceflight and hypersonic reentry missions. Define requirements, verification plans, and development strategies; lead cross-functional teams and external partners; conduct trade studies and risk reduction; resolve anomalies; improve development processes; and mentor engineers.

Develop and own electromechanical payload hardware for spaceflight, hypersonic reentry, and pharmaceutical manufacturing missions. Lead mechanism, structural, thermal, fluid, and electromechanical design; perform analyses; build and test prototypes and flight hardware; coordinate cross-functional teams; manage requirements, documentation, mission operations, and post-flight teardown. The role requires delivering integrated hardware through launch and recovery while mentoring junior engineers and driving continuous improvement.

Lead the architecture, design, integration, testing, and qualification of precision electromechanical fluid systems for pharmaceutical manufacturing payloads in space. Responsibilities include requirements development, component selection, thermal and contamination control, system analysis, trade studies, prototype and flight hardware testing, verification planning, cross-functional technical leadership, stakeholder communication, continuous improvement, and mentoring engineers.

Own payload mission success from scoping through post-flight data delivery. Define payload-to-vehicle interfaces, manage integration and environmental testing, troubleshoot technical issues, coordinate vehicle testing and flight operations, support mission execution, and improve integration processes through lessons learned.

Leads launch vehicle interface definition and capsule recovery operations for Varda spacecraft. Manages launch service agreement deliverables, regulatory requirements, launch-site integration and testing, recovery procedures, anomaly investigations, technical trade studies, and coordination with launch providers and internal engineering teams. Builds and leads a team of launch and recovery engineers while scaling operations for more than 12 vehicles annually.

Develops and maintains integrated master schedules for Varda’s W-Series space vehicles. Coordinates engineering, integration and testing, supply chain, and production plans; identifies critical paths and schedule risks; leads weekly updates and forecasts; supports baselines, re-baselining, change management, earned value metrics, schedule quality assessments, and process automation. The role partners with leadership and cross-functional teams to support recurring vehicle production and mission objectives.

Lead mission planning and trajectory design for commercial reentry vehicles, implementing 6-DOF simulations, trajectory optimization, Monte Carlo dispersion analyses, and autonomous navigation algorithms. Collaborate with propulsion, software, and flight operations teams, develop mission operations tooling, support on-orbit/reentry operations, and drive new vehicle capability development.

Own vehicle integration and test campaigns to validate flight readiness. Create and execute build/test procedures and schedules, manage system budgets, drive change implementation, own avionics/harness design, and operate vehicles in space while coordinating across engineering teams.

Lead and grow a systems integration and test team to develop vehicle integration and test campaigns, manage technical milestones and schedules, evaluate and implement vehicle changes, and remain hands-on during integration and test to ensure flight readiness and increasing flight cadence.