Job Description

Overview

Varda is a company focused on developing commercial space infrastructure, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing and reentry capsules. The Spacecraft Technician (Avionics Satellite Harness Manufacturing) will be responsible for manufacturing and testing electrical harnesses for satellite systems, ensuring adherence to quality and documentation standards.

Responsibilities

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Requirements

  • 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, and 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.

Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • PTO
  • 401k

Additional Information

  • This role is performed in an aerospace manufacturing, avionics build, and satellite integration environment.
  • Some overtime, weekend work, or schedule flexibility may be required to support production milestones.

Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO
401k

How this job compares in El Segundo, CA

Pay in context

At roughly $38/hr, this posting lands within a few percent of the $38/hr median for welding jobs in El Segundo, CA, whose middle half runs $38–$48/hr across 12 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 25% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. In other words it is a market-rate offer, so benefits, overtime, and shift schedule are where the real difference between this and the next posting on the list shows up.

The local market in El Segundo, CA

We're tracking 13 other active welding openings in El Segundo, CA right now, from 6 different employers. 10 of them were added in the last week. Across California as a whole we're tracking 583 other active welding openings from 285 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in El Segundo, or widen the search to California.

Varda Space Industries currently has 4 other openings live in California, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in California at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are SpaceX (34), Aerotek (16), and Volt (16). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within California, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Redondo Beach at $71/hr, Long Beach at $49/hr, and Santa Ana at $48/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

Similar openings near El Segundo, CA

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Spacecraft Technician (Avionics Satellite Harness Manufacturing) figures were last recalculated when this page was built.