Principal Mechanisms Engineer Payloads

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

As a Principal Mechanisms Engineer on Vardas Payload team you will define and lead the development of complex electromechanical flight hardware that operates in orbit endures hypersonic reentry and returns to Earth for inspection and iteration. You will shape payload architecture across pharmaceutical manufacturing and hypersonic reentry testbed missionsguiding systems from early concept through detailed design integration testing launch and recovery. Youll work closely with internal leadership and external partners translating mission needs into engineering strategy and technical direction. This role is ideal for engineers with deep mechanical expertise and broad cross-disciplinary insight who want to influence system architecture lead multi-mission efforts and mentor engineers while delivering complex hardware on rapid flight timelines.

Responsibilities

• Define architecture requirements and development plans for multi-payload or multi-mission systems
• Lead complex mechanism and electromechanical subsystem design efforts
• Drive system-level analyses trade studies and risk reduction using a variety of tools (hand calcs python/matlab models FEA etc. as needed)
• Lead cross-functional project teams across avionics software thermal systems integration
• Represent Varda to senior internal leadership and external partners
• Drive subsystem requirements ICDs verification plans and documentation
• Lead build integration testing mission operations recovery and anomaly resolution
• Guide lessons-learned processes and influence payload development cycles
• Mentor senior and entry-level engineers and shape best practices

Basic Qualifications

• BS/BEng in Mechanical Aerospace Mechatronics or related field
• 7 years of experience designing integrating testing and troubleshooting electromechanical hardware
• Deep mechanical expertise with breadth in at least two adjacent disciplines (avionics software thermal optics test etc.)
• Track record leading teams through full cycle electromechanical space flight hardware development
• Experience communicating with diverse technical and executive audiences both internal and external

Preferred Skills and Experience

• 3 years of cross-functional project leadership experience
• Significant experience planning and executing aerospace environmental testing (vibration TVAC EMI/EMC)
• Experience leading government-facing technical programs
• Active Secret or Top Secret clearance

Pay Range

• Salary range: $170000 - $220000/per year
• This role ison-sitein 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

• 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.)

  Learn more about the ITAR here.

Benefits