Senior Propulsion Engineer 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 the Senior Propulsion Engineer Hardware & Bus Systems you will be a hands-on technical owner ofthepropulsionsubsystemand propulsionhardwareacrossVardasfleet ofsatellite buses.You willbe responsible forpropulsion system architecture analysis productscomponentsizingpropulsion softwaretool developmentdata reviewdetailedmechanical design subsystem test and operations both on the ground and in orbitwhile working within an interdisciplinary engineering team.

Your work will directly influence the development of future vehicles and capabilities key to Vardas growth.Youllthrive in a fast-moving environment takingfull ownership of your systems and raisingthe technical bar for everyone around you.

Responsibilities

• MaintaintheVarda spacecraft propulsion system technical baseline including P&IDs and system-level documentation
• Designanalyzeand test Vardasatellitebus propulsion flight hardware and components
• Identifyopportunities and execute propulsion system block upgradeson operational vehicles inclusive of both schematic and hardware changes to increase reliability andcadence
• Help define requirements andhigh-level propulsion architecture for future Varda vehicles; develop project plans with roadmaps milestones anddrivecross-team alignment
• Generate propulsion performance analysisproductsanddocumentkey requirements(propellant budgetspressure laddersfluidcomponentsizing structural &thermal limits more)and deliver themasinputs to GNC Mission Operations Thermal and othercross-disciplinarypartner teams
• Build Python scripts and spreadsheettoolsto automate recurring analysis and test datareductionworkflows
• 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
• Sit on console for in-flight propulsion operations
• Serve as a technical authority to anomaly investigationsand drivecorrective actions to improve quality across the organization.
• Mentor junior engineers and serve as a technical reviewer for analysis productsdesign packages and external deliverables

Basic Qualifications

• B.S. in Aerospace Engineering Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline; equivalent professional experience considered (typically 36 years)
• 3 years of hands-on experience inpropulsion or fluid systems definition design build and test for spacecraft or launch vehicles
• Deep working knowledge of flight fluid system hardware: pressurized components tubing fittings seals valves and instrumentation
• Proficiency reading and authoring P&IDs
• Proficiency with CAD tools (e.g. CATIA SolidWorks NX) and PLM software
• Experience authoring and executing operational procedures for ground test or flight campaigns including console operations
• Demonstrated ability to drive anomaly investigations and technical problems to resolution across organizational boundaries

Preferred Skills and Experience

• 6 years of years of spacecraft or launch vehicle propulsion experience including satellite bus-level propulsion architectures (monopropellant bipropellant cold gas systems)
• Hands-on experience building Python scripts or spreadsheet tools to automaterecurringpropulsion analysis& data reviewworkflows
• Structural analysis experience using ANSYS NASTRAN or equivalent FEA tools applied to propulsion or fluid system hardware
• Experience generatingand reviewingtechnical drawingsand applying GD&TperASMEY14.5 standards
• Experience with spacecraft-grade propellants including cryogenichypergolic or high-test peroxide knowledge of cleanliness handling and safety requirements.
• Testlaunch site or in-flightoperationalexperienceonspacecraft or launch vehicles.
• Proficiencyusing1D fluid modeling& analysistools (GFSSPREFPROP other)
• Experiencedeveloping& refiningengineering standards design guidelines or analysis frameworks within a propulsion organization
• Exceptional technical communication skills precision and clarity in work instructions engineering specifications and engineering memos
• Experience managing or mentoringtechnical contributors formally or informally

Pay Range

• Salary Range:Senior: $140333 $179314/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).