Propulsion Engineer II - Hardware and Bus Systems
at Varda · 51-100 employees
Series C · $187M · Jul 2025
- Location
- El Segundo, California, United States
- Posted
- 5d ago
python
at Varda · 51-100 employees
Varda operates in-orbit manufacturing capsules that use microgravity crystallization to produce pharmaceuticals and biologics, supports process engineering via a terrestrial lab and hyper-gravity screening, and manufactures spacecraft in-house.
<div class="content-intro"><h2><span data-contrast="none">About Varda</span></h2> <p>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. <strong>Varda’s 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.</strong></p> <p>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. </p> <p>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. </p> <p>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. </p> <p>Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.</p></div><p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal"><strong>About This Role</strong></p> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal">As the <strong>Propulsion Engineer II – Hardware & Bus Systems</strong>, <span class="TextRun SCXW163372693 BCX0" lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW163372693 BCX0">you will be a hands-on technical </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW163372693 BCX0">owner of</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW163372693 BCX0"> the propulsion subsystem and propulsion hardware across Varda's fleet of s</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW163372693 BCX0">pacecraft</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW163372693 BCX0">. </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW163372693 BCX0">Y</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW163372693 BCX0">ou will </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW163372693 BCX0">help own </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW163372693 BCX0">and </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW163372693 BCX0">maintain</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW163372693 BCX0"> the </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW163372693 BCX0">system architecture, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW163372693 BCX0">generate </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW163372693 BCX0">analysis products, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW163372693 BCX0">perform </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW163372693 BCX0">component</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW163372693 BCX0"> sizing, propulsion software tool development, data review, detailed mechanical design, subsystem test, operations</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW163372693 BCX0">, and more for vehicles</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW163372693 BCX0"> both on the ground and in orbit.</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW163372693 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"335559739":80}"> </span></p> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal"><span class="TextRun SCXW222873684 BCX0" lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW222873684 BCX0">You will take ownership of assigned systems and </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW222873684 BCX0">work products</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW222873684 BCX0"> within a fast-moving interdisciplinary</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW222873684 BCX0"> engineering</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW222873684 BCX0"> team. Your work will directly contribute to the development of current and future vehicles key to Varda's growth. </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW222873684 BCX0">You'll</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW222873684 BCX0"> thrive in a hands-on environment, building technical breadth and steadily raising the bar on everything you touch.</span></span><span class="EOP Selected SCXW222873684 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"335559739":80}"> </span></p> <p class="font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal"><strong>Responsibilities</strong></p> <ul> <li data-leveltext="•" data-font="Arial" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":504,"335559991":288,"469769226":"Arial","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"•","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"><span data-contrast="auto">Support and maintain the Varda spacecraft propulsion system technical baseline, including P&IDs and system-level documentation</span></li> <li data-leveltext="•" data-font="Arial" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":504,"335559991":288,"469769226":"Arial","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"•","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Design, analyze, and test Varda satellite bus propulsion flight hardware and components</li> <li data-leveltext="•" data-font="Arial" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":504,"335559991":288,"469769226":"Arial","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"•","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Help scope and execute propulsion system block upgrades on operational vehicles — inclusive of both schematic and hardware changes — to increase reliability and launch cadence</li> <li data-leveltext="•" data-font="Arial" data-li