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Salary: USD 109,148 - 139,466 / annual
Varda Space Industries is building commercial space infrastructure, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing, reentry capsules, heat shields, and satellite buses. As a Propulsion Engineer I, you will be a hands-on technical owner of the propulsion subsystem and hardware across Varda's fleet of spacecraft, working on both ground and in-orbit vehicles.
You will take ownership of assigned hardware, subsystems, and work products within a fast-moving interdisciplinary engineering team. Your responsibilities include:
• Support and maintain the 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 execute propulsion system block upgrades on operational vehicles—inclusive of both schematic and hardware changes—to increase reliability and launch cadence
• Support requirements definition 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)
• 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 on-console support under senior engineer oversight
• Disposition hardware nonconformances; support anomaly investigations and contribute to corrective actions
Varda was founded in January 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov with backing from Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, and other top-tier investors. The team includes veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies, and Silicon Valley. Headquarters and production facility are in El Segundo, CA, with additional offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.
REQUIREMENTS:
• BS in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or closely related discipline; equivalent professional experience considered
• Experience in hands-on propulsion or fluid systems design, build, and/or test for spacecraft or launch vehicles (including internship, coursework, or project experience)
• 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 (NX, SolidWorks, CATIA, or other) 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:
• 1+ year of spacecraft or launch vehicle propulsion experience, including familiarity with satellite bus-level propulsion architectures (monopropellant, bipropellant, cold gas systems); graduate coursework included
• Experience building Python, MATLAB, or other scripts or spreadsheet tools to automate recurring 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 high-pressure fluid systems and 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
Note: ITAR requirements apply; must be a U.S. person (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)).
