Senior Fluid Systems Engineer — Space Pharma Hardware Lead

Varda Space; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 179,000; Full time

Job summary

Varda Space in El Segundo, CA is seeking a Senior Fluid Systems Engineer for the Payload team to develop first-of-its-kind electromechanical fluid-handling hardware that manufactures pharmaceuticals in microgravity, endures hypersonic reentry, and returns to Earth for material extraction.

Your payloads will precisely meter, mix, filter, transport, and thermally control pharmaceutical materials in compact spacecraft-friendly hardware.

Qualifications

• BS/BEng in Mechanical, Aerospace, Mechatronics, Biomedical, Chemical, or related engineering discipline.
• 4+ years of experience designing, integrating, testing, and troubleshooting electromechanical hardware.
• Strong mechanical and fluid systems expertise with breadth in at least one adjacent discipline.
• Experience delivering hardware for rigorous environments such as aerospace, defense, semiconductor manufacturing, or biotech manufacturing.
• Experience with valves, pumps, pistons, tubing, manifolds, fittings, seals, filters, sensors, metering hardware, thermal-control hardware, and/or compact fluidic assemblies.
• Ability to independently define tasks, manage schedules, and deliver integrated hardware.
• Excellent cross-disciplinary communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Own pharmaceutical manufacturing payloads from concept through design, integration, launch, in-orbit operation, reentry, and recovery
• Lead the design of precision fluid systems including valves, pumps, pistons, manifolds, tubing, fittings, seals, filters, sensors, and thermal-control systems
• Independently perform fluid, thermal, structural, and mechanism analyses (hand calcs, Python/MATLAB models, and FEA as needed)
• Build, instrument, and test prototypes and flight hardware to characterize flow rate, mixing, filtration, sealing, leak rate, pressure drop, thermal stability, contamination sensitivity, and reliability
• Integrate cross-functional inputs from business development, pharmaceutical science, and spacecraft subsystem teams into payload requirements
• Develop subsystem requirements, ICDs, verification plans, test reports, and recovery procedures
• Lead continuous improvement and incorporation of lessons learned
• Mentor entry-level engineers and interns

Skills

Mechanical systems

Fluid systems

Cross-disciplinary communication

Hardware testing

Aerospace experience

Education

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

Tools

P&IDs

Fluid schematics

FEA

Job description

Varda Space in El Segundo, CA is seeking a Senior Fluid Systems Engineer for the Payload team to develop first-of-its-kind electromechanical fluid-handling hardware that manufactures pharmaceuticals in microgravity, endures hypersonic reentry, and returns to Earth for material extraction.

Your payloads will precisely meter, mix, filter, transport, and thermally control pharmaceutical materials in compact spacecraft-friendly hardware.