Payload Mechanisms Engineer — In-Orbit Hardware & Reentry

Varda Space Industries, Inc.; El Segundo (CA); Hybrid; USD 105,000 - 152,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Wellness reimbursement

Parental leave

Stock options

Cell phone reimbursement

Relocation assistance

401(k) match

Relocation support

Fully stocked kitchen

Team events

EV charging

Job summary

Varda Space Industries, Inc. in El Segundo, CA, is seeking a Mechanisms Engineer on the Payload team to develop electromechanical flight hardware for in‑orbit processing and hypersonic reentry testbeds, delivering hardware from concept through build, test, launch, and recovery.

You will work with engineers across avionics, software, and integration, translating requirements into flight‑ready designs and performing hands‑on testing to ship hardware to space and back.

Qualifications

• BS/BEng in Mechanical, Aerospace, Mechatronics, or related engineering discipline.
• Strong fundamentals in structures, heat transfer, fluids, and dynamics.
• Hands-on experience designing, integrating, testing, and troubleshooting electromechanical hardware.
• Ability to communicate effectively across disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Own payload hardware from concept through design, integration, launch, reentry, and recovery.
• Design mechanisms, structures, thermal/fluid interfaces, and electromechanical assemblies.
• Run structural, thermal, and fluid analyses (hand calcs, simplified models, and FEA as needed).
• Build, instrument, and test prototypes and flight hardware.
• Work across avionics, software, thermal, systems, and integration teams to define interfaces and ensure compatibility.
• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for assigned payloads.
• Support mission operations and post-flight teardown.
• Contribute to lessons learned and continuous improvement.

Skills

Structures

Heat transfer

Fluids

Dynamics

Electromechanical hardware

Cross-disciplinary communication

Education

BS/BEng Mechanical / Aerospace / Mechatronics or related

Tools

NX CAD

Ansys

Nastran

Job description

Varda Space Industries, Inc. in El Segundo, CA, is seeking a Mechanisms Engineer on the Payload team to develop electromechanical flight hardware for in‑orbit processing and hypersonic reentry testbeds, delivering hardware from concept through build, test, launch, and recovery.

You will work with engineers across avionics, software, and integration, translating requirements into flight‑ready designs and performing hands‑on testing to ship hardware to space and back.