CNC Machine Shop Manager

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day machine shop operations across capsule, payload, propulsion, and GSE programs, including scheduling, work prioritization, and resource allocation
• Lead and grow a team of programmers, machinists, and operators. Hire, mentor, develop, and hold the floor accountable for safety, quality, and delivery
• Drive performance across safety, quality, on-time delivery, throughput, scrap, and cost
• Direct setups, first-piece verification, in-process checks, tool offsets, and changeovers;
• Troubleshoot machining issues related to programming, tooling, workholding, dimensional variation, surface finish, and machine downtime
• Evaluate and recommend capex for new machines, tooling, fixtures, and measurement equipment as the shop scales
• Champion configuration control discipline so every part is built to the controlled documentation

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical, manufacturing, or aerospace engineering, or equivalent practical experience
• 10+ years of CNC machining experience, with 5+ years leading a CNC machine shop or production team
• Hands-on background as a programmer or machinist who moved into management - still credible on the floor and at the CAM seat
• Direct experience with Mastercam (or equivalent) as the primary CAM environment
• Experience running shops anchored on Haas mills and lathes; comfort with Haas controls
• Direct experience with 5-axis machining strategy, workholding design, and complex setup troubleshooting
• Strong knowledge of GD&T, blueprint interpretation, and precision measuring tools (micrometers, calipers, indicators, height gauges, CMM)
• Experience in prototype, high-mix, or short-run machining environments
• Preferred Skills and Experience
• Prior work in a technical role for a launch vehicle, satellite, or reentry-vehicle development effort
• Experience in low-volume, high-mix or prototype-to-flight aerospace manufacturing environments
• Experience with NX CAD
• Capex management experience - building business cases for new machine tools, tooling, and shop infrastructure
• Experience hiring and developing a senior shop team in a startup or scale-up environment
• Pay Range
• Salary range: $110,000 - $140,000/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
• 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

Benefits

Additional Information

About Varda 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 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. 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. Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem. About this Role Varda's machine shop is where the spaceflight hardware that flies on our reentry capsules - and the ground support equipment that builds, integrates, and tests them - gets cut. Capsule structural hardware, payload processing modules, propulsion and fluid system components, integration fixtures, and bespoke tooling all come off the floor here. This is a prototype shop: short-run, low-quantity, high-mix. Most jobs are one of a kind, every setup matters, and the next vehicle's build cadence depends on what leaves the shop this week. As CNC Machine Shop Manager, you own the shop end-to-end. Today the team is 4 programmers and machinists, scaling to a larger team as Varda's vehicle cadence ramps. You'll work on a fleet of 3-axis and 5-axis mills, lathes, and secondary equipment. You set the schedule, hire and develop the team, and work directly with design and manufacturing engineers to keep first-piece quality high and turnaround tight.

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