Propulsion Engineer II Hardware and Bus Systems

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.Vardas W-Series vehicles are built designed and operated by Varda in-house including the pharmaceutical processing payloads the capsules the C-PICA heat shields and the satellite buses.

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 thePropulsion Engineer II Hardware & Bus Systems you will be a hands-on technicalowner ofthe propulsion subsystem and propulsion hardware across Vardas fleet of spacecraft.You willhelp ownandmaintainthesystem architecturegenerateanalysis productsperformcomponentsizing propulsion software tool development data review detailed mechanical design subsystem test operations and more for vehiclesboth on the ground and in orbit.

You will take ownership of assigned systems andwork productswithin a fast-moving interdisciplinaryengineeringteam. Your work will directly contribute to the development of current and future vehicles key to Vardas growth.Youllthrive in a hands-on environment building technical breadth and steadily raising the bar on everything you touch.

Responsibilities

• Support andmaintainthe Varda spacecraft propulsion system technical baseline including P&IDs and system-level documentation
• Design analyze and test Varda satellite bus propulsion flight hardware and components
• Help scope and execute propulsion system block upgrades on operational vehicles inclusive of both schematic and hardware changes to increase reliability and launch cadence
• Support definition of requirements and high-level propulsion architecture for future Varda vehicles; contribute to project plans roadmaps and milestones
• Generate propulsion performance analysis products and document key requirements (propellant budgets pressure ladders fluid component sizing structural & thermal limits and more); deliver your outputs as key inputs to GNC Mission Operations Thermal and other cross-disciplinary partner teams
• Build Python scripts and spreadsheet tools to automate recurring analysis and test data review workflows
• Execute detailed mechanical design of propulsion hardware and fluid system components; perform structural analysis using ANSYS NASTRAN or equivalent FEA tools
• Author and review design documentation engineering specs build/integration/test procedures and engineering memos
• Support in-flight propulsion operations including console support under senior engineer oversight
• Disposition hardware nonconformances; support anomaly investigations and contribute to corrective actions

Basic Qualifications

• B.S. in Aerospace Engineering Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline; equivalent professional experience considered (typically 13 years)
• 3 years of hands-on experience in propulsion or fluid systems design build and/or test for spacecraft or launch vehicles
• Working knowledge of flight fluid system hardware: pressurized components tubing fittings seals valves and instrumentation
• Ability to read P&IDs; experience authoring P&IDs is a plus
• Proficiency with CAD tools (e.g. CATIA SolidWorks NX) and PLM software
• Experience authoring or executing operational procedures for ground test or flight campaigns
• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of assigned technical tasks and drive them to resolution

Preferred Skills and Experience

• 3 years of spacecraft or launch vehicle propulsion experience including familiarity with satellite bus-level propulsion architectures (monopropellant bipropellant cold gas systems)
• Experience building Python scripts or spreadsheet tools to automate propulsion analysis or data review workflows
• Exposure to structural analysis using ANSYS NASTRAN or equivalent FEA tools applied to propulsion or fluid system hardware
• Familiarity with technical drawing review and GD&T per ASME Y14.5 standards
• Exposure to spacecraft-grade propellants including cryogenic hypergolic or high-test peroxide systems; awareness of cleanliness handling and safety requirements
• Test launch site or in-flight operational experience on spacecraft or launch vehicles
• Familiarity with 1D fluid modeling & analysis tools (GFSSP REFPROP or similar)
• Strong technical communication skills- clarity and precision in work instructions engineering specs and engineering memos

Pay Range

• Salary Range: Eng II: $119543-$152749/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

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. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items our 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).