{"id":3718309,"url":"https://alion.io/job/varda-space-industries-senior-applications-engineer","title":"Senior Applications Engineer","company":{"id":58875,"name":"Varda Space Industries","domain":"varda.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/varda-space-industries","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":81,"open_postings":25,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.96,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":6,"computed_at":"2026-11-06T05:58:05Z"}},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":"senior","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"explicit","locations":["El Segundo, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":140333,"max":179314,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":179314},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":5,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[{"name":"Alteryx","optional":false},{"name":"AS9100","optional":false},{"name":"CI/CD","optional":false},{"name":"CMMC","optional":false},{"name":"dbt","optional":false},{"name":"ETL/ELT","optional":false},{"name":"Git","optional":false},{"name":"Informatica","optional":false},{"name":"JavaScript","optional":false},{"name":"LLM","optional":false},{"name":"MBSE","optional":false},{"name":"Power BI","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"SQL","optional":false},{"name":"SSIS","optional":false},{"name":"Tableau","optional":false},{"name":"Amazon Redshift","optional":true},{"name":"AWS","optional":true},{"name":"Bitbucket","optional":true},{"name":"Cameo Systems Modeler","optional":true},{"name":"Confluence","optional":true},{"name":"Databricks","optional":true},{"name":"ITIL","optional":true},{"name":"Jira","optional":true},{"name":"Power Apps","optional":true},{"name":"Snowflake","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-11-03T23:21:56Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-11-04","last_verified_at":"2026-11-06T11:51:43Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":2,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":2},"description":"About Varda\nLow 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.\nFrom 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. \nOur 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. \nVarda 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. \nJoin Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.\nAbout This Role \nVarda is seeking a Senior Applications Engineer to join our team. In this role you will be responsible for leading efforts to develop, deploy, improve, and manage all Engineering applications. You will manage the implementation of these solutions through the entire product life cycle from opportunity identification to support and sustainment. You will work cross-functionally with multiple engineering teams across Varda to ensure tools are integrated, compliant, and scaled to support hardware and software development workflows. Projects will include a wide range of desired outcomes including cycle time reduction, cost reduction, improved decision making, risk reduction, configuration control, and any other key operational efficiency. Your contributions will immediately impact engineering operations and have an opportunity to contribute to Varda's overall growth and success. This role will report to the Director of Enterprise Applications. \nThis is a full-time, exempt position located in our El Segundo headquarters. \nResponsibilities \nServe as the single point of accountability for engineering systems (PLM, CAD/PDM, MBSE, engineering change management, and similar platforms).\nAdminister and optimize engineering platforms across daily operations, ensuring data integrity, configuration control, and compliance alignment.\nDesign and build custom analytics dashboards and reports using tools like Power BI, SQL, and Python to surface actionable insights for engineering and manufacturing stakeholders.\nMap, document, and re-engineer engineering workflows to eliminate manual bottlenecks, reduce cycle times, and improve data capture at the source.\nDevelop and maintain internal applications (low-code/no-code and custom-built) that automate repetitive tasks and augment decision-making across engineering workflows.\nBuild and ingest ETL pipelines that connect engineering tools into the broader enterprise data layer.\nSupport compliance documentation for engineering systems and processes, including AS9100 and CMMC validation workflows.\nTriage and resolve application issues, coordinate with vendors on escalations, and manage release cycles for system updates and patches.\nCreate training materials and lead hands-on enablement sessions to drive user adoption and reduce shadow IT across engineering teams.\nEvaluate, pilot, and deploy AI-powered and generative tools to enterprise standards, managing their lifecycle and governance.\nOwn data governance and quality standards for engineering data, defining data owners, enforcing naming conventions, and monitoring data lineage across systems. \nAssist IT and Infosec with permission-based access, tracking, and compliance.\nEvaluate new tools, platforms, and vendors to support make/buy decisions and ensure engineering systems integrate cleanly into the broader enterprise architecture.\nTrack and report on system health, adoption KPIs, and project status to engineering leadership and enterprise stakeholders. \nBasic Qualifications \nBachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related technical field.\n5+ years of experience in software engineering or similar role with coding requirements.\nCapability to gather business requirements from stakeholders and take a project from initial concept to finished product.\nAbility to work with end users to rapidly iterate prototype applications by solving end user issues.\nHands-on experience with business process mapping and re-engineering using structured methodologies.\nAbility to work independently as the sole technical resource within a business unit, managing competing priorities without day-to-day technical oversight.\nAbility to translate technical concepts to non-technical audiences for stakeholders internal and external to the organization.\nProficiency in SQL and at least one scripting/programming language (Python, JavaScript, or similar).\nDemonstrated experience building reports and dashboards in a BI platform (Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent).\nFamiliarity with engineering data domains (BOM structures, CAD metadata, change order workflows) and willingness to develop deep expertise in aerospace engineering data standards.\nFamiliarity with data integration patterns (ETL/ELT) and tools such as Alteryx, dbt, SSIS, or Informatica.\nStrong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to produce system design documentation, SOPs, and training materials for non-technical engineering stakeholders.\nFamiliarity with AI/ML concepts and hands-on experience using LLM-based tools in a professional setting.\nFamiliarity with version control systems (Git) and software development lifecycle fundamentals including code review and CI/CD practices. \nPreferred Skills and Qualifications \nGraduate degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related fields.\nExperience supporting or managing enterprise engineering applications (PLM, CAD/PDM, MBSE, or engineering change management tools).\nExperience with MBSE toolchains (CAMEO, Capella) and engineering change management workflows.\nExperience with AS9100 and/or CMMC compliance documentation and audit support.\nProficiency with low-code/no-code platforms (Alteryx, Power Apps, or similar) for rapid application development.\nExperience with cloud data platforms (Snowflake, Databricks, AWS Redshift) and modern ELT architectures.\nExperience with Microsoft products (Teams, Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket) and their APIs.\nProven track record of architecting and sustaining AI-powered solutions that drove measurable adoption across large user populations.\nExperience with aerospace and defense enterprise systems, manufacturing workflows, or supply chain operations.\nInformation Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), Project Management Professional (PMP), or Lean Six Sigma certification.\nTrack record of building workflow automation or custom tooling that eliminated manual processes, with quantifiable outcomes such as hours saved, error reduction, or user adoption metrics in a regulated environment.\nExperience conducting or contributing to platform trade studies or build-vs-buy evaluations for data infrastructure. \nCompensation \nSenior Applications Engineer: $140,333 - $179,314 per year\nLeveling and base salary is determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance\nYou will be eligible for long-term incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards\nITAR Requirements\nVarda, 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.\n“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).\nE-Verify Statement\nVarda 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.\nE-Verify Notice Right To Work Notice\nRead more Read more\nVarda 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.","description_format":"text","description_chars":9455,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":5,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":true,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Stock options"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Satellite Manufacturing","Space Services"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-11-04T01:40:18Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":57,"band":"ok","label":"Likely open","p_open":1,"p_active":0.632,"p_room":0.9,"age_days":2,"expected_fill_days":6,"reasons":["conf:2","stale_co","velocity","win:mid","comp:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-11-06T05:58:05Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":179314,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/varda-space-industries-senior-applications-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/varda-space-industries-senior-applications-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-06T16:02:37Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":29853,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-07T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":58875},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=58875"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fvarda-space-industries-senior-applications-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fvarda-space-industries-senior-applications-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fvarda-space-industries-senior-applications-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/varda-space-industries-senior-applications-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fvarda-space-industries-senior-applications-engineer"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":3718309}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"varda.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":3718309},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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