Senior Structures Engineer

Varda Space Industries; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Varda Space Industries seeks an experienced Senior Structures Engineer to lead design, analysis, build and test of spaceflight structures and reentry vehicles. You will solve complex problems in a fast-paced team, supporting multiple projects and ensuring hardware meets stringent requirements.

You will work on development of primary and secondary structures, MGSE, and related spacecraft mechanisms, collaborating with cross-disciplinary teams to advance space and pharmaceutical industries.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant engineering discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in structures for aerospace, automotive, or spacecraft.
• Strong first principles thinking and understanding of structural design, analysis, and testing.
• Proficient in 3D CAD (NX) and producing production-ready drawings/instructions.
• Experience with revision-controlled documentation in a PLM system (Teamcenter preferred).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to communicate across disciplines.
• Experience with structural analyses to demonstrate requirements via hand calcs or FEA tools.
• Broad technical breadth across avionics, software, GNC, etc.
• Interest in advancing space and pharmaceutical industries.

Responsibilities

• Derive hardware requirements and perform initial design trades from open-ended problems.
• Evaluate impact of hardware decisions on packaging, thermal, environmental, and loads.
• Own all aspects of hardware delivery, technical and administrative.
• Use hand calculations, FEA, and CAD to meet requirements.
• Design and execute development and qualification testing.
• Develop tooling for hardware integration and testing.
• Mentor junior engineers.

Skills

First principles thinking

Structural design

Finite element analysis

3D CAD (NX)

PLM (Teamcenter)

Technical communication

Cross-disciplinary awareness

Python / Matlab

Hands-on fabrication

Heatshield design/analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

NX

Ansys

Femap

Nastran

Teamcenter

Job description

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.

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.

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.

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. 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. 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

Varda is seeking an experienced Senior Structures Engineer to join our team. In this position, you will be responsible for the design, analysis, build and test of primary and secondary structures for Varda's new spaceflight structures and reentry vehicles. We are looking for engineers who thrive on solving complex problems, can operate effectively in a fast-paced environment, and share our passion for advancing in-space industry. The structures team supports a diverse range of projects and responsibilities -- this includes the design and development of spaceflight structures, mechanical ground support equipment (MGSE), and basic spacecraft mechanisms, as well as the mechanical needs of other teams across the company.

This is a full-time, exempt position located at our El Segundo headquarters.

Responsibilities

• Derive hardware requirements and perform initial design trades given open-ended problem statements and stakeholder input.
• Evaluate the impact of hardware design decisions on packaging, thermal, environmental, and loads to ensure the best system-level solution.
• Own all aspects of hardware delivery, both technical and administrative.
• Use hand calculations, finite element analyses, and computer-aided designs (CAD) to ensure all hardware meets or exceeds requirements.
• Design and execute development and qualification testing.
• Develop tooling to support hardware integration and testing.
• Technical mentorship of junior engineers.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant engineering discipline with 5+ years of experience in related applications (e.g., structures for automotive, aircraft, spacecraft, etc.).
• Strong first principles thinking with a deep understanding of structural design, analysis, and testing.
• Ability to perform appropriate structural analyses to demonstrate that a structure design meets or exceeds requirements (e.g., Hand Calcs, Ansys, Femap, Nastran, etc.).
• Excellent 3D CAD skills (ideally NX) and experience translating models to production intent (detailed drawings, work instructions, etc.).
• Experience working with revision-controlled documentation in a PLM system (Teamcenter preferred).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with an aptitude for interdisciplinary technical communication.
• Basic technical breadth across other disciplines (avionics, software, GNC, etc.).
• Excitement about making history at the forefront of both the space and pharmaceutical industries.

Preferred Skills And Experience

• Experience with aerospace hardware development practices, from concept to delivery (e.g., qualification testing practices, design for typical space environments, cleanliness, etc.).
• Direct experience with spaceflight vehicles, especially reentry vehicles, and the associated technical challenges therein.
• Experience with programming tools (Python, Matlab, etc.).
• Comfortable with hands‑on assembly, fabrication, and machining of metallic parts.
• Experience designing and analyzing spacecraft heatshields

Pay Range

• E2: $115,000 - 153,000 per year (1-3 years of exp)
• Sr. Engineer: $140,000 - 180,000 per year (3-6 years of exp)
• This role is on‑site in El Segundo, CA
• Leveling and base salary are 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

ITAR Requirements

Varda, like all employers, must ensure that its employees working in the United States are lawfully authorized to work in the U.S. Additionally, our employees are exposed to and have access to certain export-controlled items. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our policy is to only hire “U.S. persons” who are permitted to have access to our technology without an export license.

“US person” means: U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) (i.e., individual admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum).

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.

Equal Opportunity Employer

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