Senior Thermal Analysis Engineer
El Segundo, CA - USA
Job Summary
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.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 Thermal Analysis Engineer you will serve as a key member of the vehicle engineering team to develop and maintain thermal system architectures and collaborate cross-functionally with hardware production software and mission ops to ensure vehicle health and performance through all mission phases.
Your work directly influences design and performance of Vardas spacecraft and will often flex between quick evaluations and high-fidelity analysis. You will also contribute to thermal modeling and data processing workflows to build more efficient and robust systems as we scale in vehicle cadence. A proactive problem-solving approach and commitment to meeting tight schedules are critical to supporting Vardas goals of expanding in-space manufacturing. We are in the mission of developing engineering systems for life-changing products in microgravity for patients on Earth and looking for skilled and driven teammates to help us get there.
Responsibilities
- Develop and maintain integrated thermal analysis models for Vardas space vehicles
- Create and maintain tools/systems for model and flight data processing
- Ensure spacecraft remains within operating and survival limits during all mission phases via passive and active thermal control
- Collaborate with other spacecraft disciplines to drive hardware software and/or con-ops improvements
- Plan execute and anchor models to Thermal Vacuum (TVac) testing
- Provide guidance to vehicle level testing such as thermal bakeout Vehicle-In-The-Loop (VITL) propulsion hot fire etc.
- Work independently with minimal technical oversight
- Mentor junior engineers and serve as a technical peer reviewer
Basic Qualifications
- Mechanical Aerospace or a related discipline with consideration given to equivalent professional experience (typically 36 years)
- 3 years of experience and knowledge in developing passive and active thermal control systems
- Proficiency in detailed thermal analysis in Thermal Desktop SINDA/FLUINT
- Experience anchoring thermal models to test and/or flight data
- Experience in planning and executing Thermal Vacuum Chamber (TVac) testing
- Experience in MATLAB (or equivalent) for data processing and task automation
- Familiarity with thermal margins and qualification test requirements in SMC-S-016
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with an aptitude for interdisciplinary technical communication
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Masters degree in a related engineering discipline and 3 years of related professional experience
- Experience of an entire spacecraft vehicle lifecycle from initial concept design development production integration and test to mission operations
- Experience in thermal design and analysis of reentry systems
- A track record of taking ownership of projects and delivering results in a fast-paced environment
Pay Range
- Salary Range:Senior: $140333- $179314/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
Benefits
Varda offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support health financial wellbeing and a highquality workplace experience. Below is an overview of what fulltime employees receive(at this time interns receive a subset of benefits):
Health & Wellness
- Flexible PTO policy 12 paid holidays
- 100% company-paid Medical Dental and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options
- Voluntaryaccident hospital critical illnessandpet insurance
- $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses
- 12weeks ofparental leave(with supplemental disability leavefor CAmothers)
- Family building pregnancyparentingand menopausebenefitsvia Maven Clinic
- SponsoredOne Medicalmemberships for employees and their dependents
Financial & Retirement
- Substantial incentive equityin a fully funded space start-up
- 401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match (immediately vested)
- $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement
- Relocation supportfor new hires if needed
Workplace Experience & Perks
- Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly
- Company and team-bonding events happyhoursand mission-success celebrations
- Complimentary EV charging
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. 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).
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 theE-Verify program.
E-Verify Notice Right To Work Notice
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 martial status mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.
Required Experience:
Senior IC
About Company
Expanding the economic bounds of humankind with the world's first orbital manufacturing & reentry platform.