Mission Assurance/ Build Reliability Internship - Summer 2026

Mission Assurance/ Build Reliability Internship - Summer 2026

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.

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 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 (coming soon).

Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.

About This Role

Summer internships will range between the months of May and August. All dates dependent upon the university schedule of the selected students. Internships are full-time and on-site in Los Angeles, CA.

Mission Assurance will be working to ensure Varda is ready to successfully launch and reenter our Winnebago capsule, by determining overall program readiness (design, build, and operational readiness), while meeting all the regulatory requirements necessary to safely and repeatedly execute our mission. The candidate will help author and present on program wide vehicle and regulatory readiness.

Internships at Varda are optimal for students looking to grow technically and professionally while working on impactful projects critical to the company's success. You will be working on a collaborative team in a startup environment while being able to learn from some of most accomplished and experienced aerospace professionals in the world. We're dedicated to providing an experience that will let your decisions and contributions help drive Varda's success.

Build Reliability: Interns will support real-time troubleshooting of vehicle build issues and contribute to data collection and analysis related to component performance (pass/fail tracking). They will also take ownership of configuration management for the vehicle and assist directly in various stages of the vehicle build process.

Systems Engineering / Mission Assurance: Interns will lead functional analysis efforts for the vehicle, ensuring that all subsystems align with overall mission objectives. They will also take ownership of requirements verification, helping to confirm that the vehicle design and performance meet all defined technical and regulatory criteria.

Responsibilities

Build Reliability: Ideal for candidates with hands-on experience and a passion for building hardware. Preferred Experience:

• Built or assembled physical hardware (personal, academic, or professional projects)
• Experience on project teams (e.g., Rocketry, SAE, CubeSat)
• Familiarity with manufacturing processes or rapid prototyping

OR

Systems Engineering / Mission Assurance:

• Hazard analysis or fault tree analysis
• Requirements definition and traceability
• System-level test planning and verification
• Hands-on work on project teams involving hardware development

Basic Qualifications

• Enrolled as a full-time student at a college or university
• Relevant coursework in:
• Build Reliability
• Integration & Test (I&T) on vehicles
• Experience building something hands-on (personal, academic, or professional)
• Experience with hardware systems
• OR
• Background in Systems Engineering or Mission Assurance
• Experience with:
• Hazard analysis
• Requirements capturing
• Systems test and verification

Preferred Skills And Experience

• Previous internship or co-op experience
• Previous experience on technical project teams (i.e. Rocket club, formula SAE, etc.)

ITAR 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. At present, some of our technology to which employees have access requires a license to be exported to individuals other than "U.S. Persons" as defined in U.S. export regulations. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our current policy is to only hire "U.S. persons" who are permitted to have access to our technology without an export license.

"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 in the U.S.)

Benefits

• Exciting team of professionals at the top of their field working by your side
• Equity in a fully funded space startup with potential for significant growth (interns excluded)
• 401(k) matching (interns excluded)
• Unlimited PTO (interns excluded)
• Health insurance, including Vision and Dental
• Lunch and snacks provided on site every day. Dinners provided twice a week.
• Maternity / Paternity leave (interns excluded)

Varda 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, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.

E-Verify Statement

Varda 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.