Director, Mechanisms Engineering - Pharmaceutical Payloads

Varda Space Industries; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) matching

Unlimited PTO

Lunch and snacks provided

Equity in a space startup

Job summary

Varda Space Industries seeks a Director of Mechanisms Engineering to lead the development of in-orbit pharmaceutical manufacturing payloads. This role involves building and leading a team of engineers, defining system architectures, and ensuring the successful execution of projects. The ideal candidate has extensive experience in electromechanical hardware and team leadership, alongside excellent communication skills. Located in El Segundo, California, Varda offers a competitive salary range from $200,000 to $250,000 per year, along with generous benefits including health insurance and 401(k) matching.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in complex electromechanical hardware design.
• 3+ years of experience in team leadership and hardware development.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead a team of payload engineers.
• Own the pharmaceutical payload development roadmap and execution.
• Manage a portfolio of concurrent payload development efforts.

Skills

Electromechanical hardware design

Team leadership

Fluid handling systems

Communication skills

Project management

Education

BS/BEng in Mechanical, Aerospace or related field

Job description

Director, Mechanisms Engineering - Pharmaceutical Payloads

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.

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 Director, Mechanisms Engineering – Pharmaceutical Payloads at Varda, you will build and lead the team responsible for Varda's in‑orbit pharmaceutical manufacturing payloads—the core of Varda's commercial business. This role combines deep technical authority with team leadership, product definition, and development execution responsibility. You will own the successful development and flight of precision electromechanical fluid‑handling systems that process and crystallize pharmaceutical compounds in microgravity—then survive hypersonic reentry and return to Earth for product recovery and hardware iteration. The payloads your team designs, builds, and flies will directly determine whether in‑space pharmaceutical manufacturing becomes a commercial reality.

You will build and grow a team of payload engineers responsible for individual pharmaceutical payload missions while also owning the technical definition and evolution of Varda's pharma payload product line. This includes defining the system architecture, fluid system design philosophy, and development approach, and establishing the engineering standards and processes that enable reliable execution as Varda scales in both cadence and scope.

You'll expand Varda's pharmaceutical payload capability to a scaled, repeatable product line—building the team, technical standards, and development processes to get there.

This role is ideal for a technically exceptional leader who wants to build an elite team and own the first ever industrial manufacturing capability in space from strategy through execution.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead a team of payload engineers, each responsible for executing individual pharmaceutical payload missions
• Mentor engineers and develop future technical and people leaders
• Own the pharmaceutical payload development roadmap—expanding Varda's pharmaceutical product portfolio, driving design iteration from flight data, and scaling mission cadence
• Own pharmaceutical payload engineering execution against company goals and customer contracts, including schedule, cost, and technical performance
• Manage a portfolio of concurrent payload development efforts and recurring mission executions, ensuring schedule, technical performance, and engineering quality across the portfolio
• Define and maintain standards for payload design, analysis, integration, testing, mission execution, documentation, and project management
• Work closely with avionics, software, thermal, systems, integration, and vehicle teams to define payload interfaces and constraints
• Standardize processes for environmental test campaigns, mission operations, post‑flight hardware inspection, and anomaly resolution
• Drive continuous improvement through lessons learned and feedback from flight programs

Basic Qualifications

• BS/BEng in Mechanical, Aerospace, Biomedical, Mechatronics, or a related engineering discipline
• 10+ years of experience designing, integrating, testing, and delivering complex electromechanical hardware involving precision fluid handling
• 3+ years of experience leading teams through full‑cycle hardware development
• Experience with electromechanical fluid systems in high‑reliability or extreme environments (space, life support, medical devices, semiconductor process equipment, bioprocess systems)
• Breadth across at least two adjacent hardware disciplines (e.g., avionics, mechanisms, software, structures, thermal, optics, test, etc.)
• Demonstrated ability to set technical direction and deliver results through other engineers
• Experience establishing and enforcing technical and programmatic standards across teams
• Exceptional communication ability with diverse technical and executive audiences

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Professional or academic exposure to chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, or a related process engineering discipline
• Experience building, scaling, or managing hardware engineering teams
• Experience owning technical roadmaps or standardized hardware product offerings
• Experience developing or operating hardware for pharmaceutical, bioprocess, or sterile/cleanroom manufacturing applications
• Familiarity with microgravity fluid behavior, capillary‑driven flows, or two‑phase fluid management
• Familiarity with cGMP principles or regulated hardware environments
• Significant experience planning and executing environmental testing (vibration, TVAC, EMI/EMC)

Pay Range

• Salary range: $200,000 – $250,000 per year
• 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

• Exciting team of professionals at the top of their field working by your side
• Equity in a fully funded space startup with potential for significant growth (interns excluded)
• 401(k) matching (interns excluded)
• Unlimited PTO (interns excluded)
• Health insurance, including Vision and Dental
• Lunch and snacks provided on site every day. Dinners provided twice a week.
• Maternity / Paternity leave (interns excluded)

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, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.

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 the E‑Verify program.

Interested in building your career at Varda Space Industries? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.