Is the Space Mission Operations Engineer II role remote?

No — this is an on-site role in El Segundo, California, United States.

What's the salary range?

Varda Space lists $119,543–$152,749 for this role.

How much experience is required?

2–3 years of relevant experience for this Space Mission Operations Engineer II role.

Where is the role based?

Varda Space is hiring for this position in El Segundo, California, United States.

What's the tech stack?

Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: HTML, JavaScript, Python.

What seniority level is this role?

Varda Space targets mid-level candidates for this position.

Is this full-time or contract?

Full-time for this Space Mission Operations Engineer II role at Varda Space.

Space Mission Operations Engineer II at Varda Space

Joblaze summary

The Space Mission Operations Engineer II at Varda Space is responsible for leading and executing on-orbit missions, ensuring the success of mission-unique payloads from inception to completion. This role requires a solid foundation in engineering, particularly in aerospace or computer science, along with experience in real-time operations and software development using languages like Python and JavaScript. Ideal candidates are those with a few years of relevant experience, particularly in spacecraft systems and operations, who thrive in a startup environment. Varda's team is composed of industry veterans, fostering a collaborative atmosphere aimed at advancing commercial space infrastructure

Joblaze insights

Listed 2 days ago — first seen on Joblaze September 25, 2026. Last confirmed on Varda Space's careers page September 27, 2026.
Salary band is in line with the typical range for comparable tech roles (median ~$126,887).
Starts above 53% of 304 comparable mid other roles in United States that list Python we track (median $114,330 across 55 companies). See Python salary trends
Python appears in 17.4% of 2975 comparable mid other roles in United States; HTML appears in 0.3% of 2975 comparable mid other roles in United States.

Quick facts

Is the Space Mission Operations Engineer II role remote?: No — this is an on-site role in El Segundo, California, United States.
What's the salary range?: Varda Space lists $119,543–$152,749 for this role.
How much experience is required?: 2–3 years of relevant experience for this Space Mission Operations Engineer II role.
Where is the role based?: Varda Space is hiring for this position in El Segundo, California, United States.
What's the tech stack?: Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: HTML, JavaScript, Python.
What seniority level is this role?: Varda Space targets mid-level candidates for this position.
Is this full-time or contract?: Full-time for this Space Mission Operations Engineer II role at Varda Space.

From the original posting

About Varda

About This Role

The Mission Operations Engineer II is an experienced spacecraft operator. They are exceptional communicators, adept leaders, and a jack-of-all trades capable of applying cross-discipline engineering to bespoke solutions. An ideal candidate is someone passionate to work in a startup environment where you will have the opportunity to fully own on-orbit operations for our Winnie Spaceship and mold a unique new mission framework for operations in space.

Responsibilities

Develop, coordinate, execute, and lead Varda's on-orbit missions.
Own the full ops development cycle for mission-unique payloads, from the creation of mission profiles through execution.
Work with teams across the company to continuously improve upon mission operations and ensure mission success.
Automate and eliminate operational burden by building webtools.
Scale up Varda's operational capabilities to support a growing flight cadence.

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline, preferably Aerospace, Electrical, or Computer Science.
2+ years of experience in a real time operations role on a complex and high consequence operation.
1+ years of experience developing software tools in Python, JavaScript, and/or HTML.
Familiarity with Avionics, GNC, Software, and Thermal design practices for spacecraft.

Preferred Skills and Experience

3+ years of experience with spacecraft systems.
Previous operator experience in a leadership role.
Previous in-orbit spacecraft operations experience.
Previous experience with Git and Atlassian products.
Familiarity with ground stations networks.

Pay Range

Salary range: Engineer II: $119,543 - $152,749/ 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.

Benefits

Regular Full-Time Positions:

Health & Wellness 

Flexible PTO policy + 12 paid holidays

Voluntary accident, hospital, critical illness, and pet insurance

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 

$20/pay period cell phone reimbursement

Relocation support for new hires, if needed

Workplace Experience & Perks 

Company and team-bonding events, happy hours and mission-success celebrations

Complimentary EV charging

Benefits for Internship Positions:

Health & Wellness  

Paid observed holidays.

Financial  

$20/pay period cell phone reimbursement.

Workplace Experience & Perks 

Company and team-bonding events, happy hours and mission-success celebrations

Complimentary EV charging

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