Lead Fluid Systems Engineer — Space Pharma Payloads

Varda; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 182,000 - 232,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible PTO

Medical, Dental, Vision insurance

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Varda is seeking a Principal Fluid Systems Engineer to lead development of electromechanical fluid handling hardware for pharmaceutical manufacturing in microgravity, including design, testing, and on-orbit operation. You'll shape architecture and guide teams from requirements through deployment and iteration for future missions.

You will collaborate with pharmaceutical scientists, process engineers, and submarine subsystem teams to translate mission objectives into flight-ready hardware,

Qualifications

• BS/BEng in Mechanical, Aerospace, Mechatronics, Biomedical, Chemical, or related engineering discipline.
• 7+ years of experience designing, integrating, testing, and troubleshooting electromechanical hardware.
• Deep mechanical and fluid systems expertise with breadth in at least two adjacent disciplines.
• Track record leading project teams through full-cycle electromechanical space flight hardware development.
• Extensive experience with valves, pumps, pistons, tubing, manifolds, fittings, seals, filters, sensors, metering hardware, thermal-control hardware, and/or compact fluidic assemblies.
• Excellent communication skills with customer, executive, and cross-disciplinarytechnical audiences

Responsibilities

• Define requirements, architecture, and development plans for pharmaceutical manufacturing payloads
• Establish fluid system design standards for component selection and qualification, sealing, contamination control, thermal control, and verification/validation
• Lead project teams to develop of precision fluid systems incorporating valves, pumps, pistons, manifolds, tubing, fittings, seals, filters, sensors, and thermal control systems
• Drive system-level analyses, trade studies, and risk reduction using a variety of tools (hand calcs, Python/MATLAB models, FEA, etc.) as needed
• Lead build and test campaigns for prototypes and flight hardware to characterize performance and reliability
• Synthesize cross-functional inputs from business development, pharmaceutical science, process engineering, and spacecraft subsystem teams to develop requirements for new pharmaceutical payloads
• Develop standards for subsystem requirements, ICDs, verification plans, test reports, and recovery procedures
• Represent Varda in technical discussions with internal leadership, external partners, customers, and government stakeholders
• Lead continuous improvement and incorporation of lessons learned
• Mentor senior and entry-level engineers and shape best practices

Skills

Communication

Leadership

Mechanical design

Fluid systems

Project management

Education

BS/BEng in Mechanical, Aerospace, Mechatronics, Biomedical, Chemical, or related engineering

Tools

Python

MATLAB

FEA

Job description

Varda is seeking a Principal Fluid Systems Engineer to lead development of electromechanical fluid handling hardware for pharmaceutical manufacturing in microgravity, including design, testing, and on-orbit operation. You'll shape architecture and guide teams from requirements through deployment and iteration for future missions.

You will collaborate with pharmaceutical scientists, process engineers, and submarine subsystem teams to translate mission objectives into flight-ready hardware,