Senior Structures Engineer New El Segundo, California, United States

Varda Space Industries, Inc.; El Segundo (CA); Hybrid; USD 115,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible PTO

Company-paid health insurance

Relocation assistance

Stock options

401(k) with company match

Wellness reimbursement

Job summary

Varda Space Industries, Inc. is seeking an experienced Senior Structures Engineer to lead design, analysis, build, and test of primary and secondary structures for spaceflight and reentry vehicles.

The role emphasizes solving complex problems in a fast-paced environment, with a focus on hardware delivery and cross-team collaboration at our El Segundo HQ. The candidate should have strong first principles thinking, extensive structural analysis experience, and proficiency in CAD (NX) and PLM

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering with 5+ years in related structures work.
• Strong understanding of structural design, analysis, and testing.
• Experience with hand calcs and FEA tools (Ansys, Femap, Nastran).
• Excellent 3D CAD skills (NX) and production-ready drawings.
• Proficient with revision-controlled PLM documentation (Teamcenter).
• Clear written and verbal communication; interdisciplinary awareness.
• Interest in space and pharmaceutical industry history.

Responsibilities

• Derive hardware requirements and perform design trades from stakeholder input.
• Assess packaging, thermal, environmental, and loads impacts on system level.
• Own hardware delivery, both technically and administratively.
• Use hand calcs, FEA, and CAD to meet requirements.
• Design and execute development and qualification testing.
• Develop tooling for hardware integration and testing.
• Provide technical mentorship to junior engineers.

Skills

First principles thinking

Structural analysis

3D CAD

Technical communication

Interdisciplinary breadth

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

Ansys

Femap

Nastran

NX CAD

Teamcenter

Job description

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

Consider your benefits covered for launch. At Varda, we invest in benefits and perks that support your health, financial well-being, and life beyond work. Benefits vary by position, with packages designed specifically for our regular full-time employees and interns.

Regular Full-Time Positions:

• Flexible PTO policy +12 paid holidays
• 100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options
• Voluntaryaccident, hospital, critical illness,andpet insurance
• $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses
• 12weeks ofparental leave(with supplemental disability leavefor CAmothers)
• SponsoredOne Medicalmemberships for employees and their dependents
• Substantial incentive equityin a fully funded space start-up
• 401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match (immediatelyvested)
• $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement
• Relocation supportfor new hires, if needed

Workplace Experience & Perks

• Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly
• Company and team-bonding events, happyhoursand mission-success celebrations
• Complimentary EV charging

Intern Positions:

• 100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options
• $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses
• Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents
• $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement
• Up to $4,000gross up in relocation support, ifeligible
• Up to $850commute credit through Lyft or car rental reimbursement, if eligible

Workplace Experience & Perks

• Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly
• Company and team-bonding events, happyhoursand mission-success celebrations
• Complimentary EV charging

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.

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.

As set forth in Varda Space Industries’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.