Senior Thermal Analysis Engineer

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

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Long-term cash awards

Job summary

Varda Space Industries is seeking a Senior Thermal Analysis Engineer to lead thermal system architectures for our space vehicles. You will collaborate with hardware, production, software, and mission ops to ensure health and performance across all mission phases.

Your work includes modeling, data processing workflows, and driving efficient thermal solutions as we scale vehicle cadence. A proactive, detail-oriented engineer will thrive here.

Qualifications

• B.S. in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related discipline; 3–6+ years preferred.
• Experience developing passive and active thermal control systems.
• Proficiency with Thermal Desktop and SINDA/FLUINT required.
• Ability to anchor models to test/flight data and plan TVac tests.
• Strong communication across disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain integrated thermal analysis models for space vehicles.
• Create tools for model and flight data processing.
• Ensure spacecraft stay within operating and survival limits via passive/active control.
• Collaborate to drive hardware/software and ops improvements.
• Plan, execute, and anchor models to TVac testing.
• Guide vehicle level testing and mentor junior engineers.

Skills

Thermal analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

MATLAB

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's in Mechanical/Aerospace

Tools

Thermal Desktop

SINDA/FLUINT

TVac testing

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

As the Senior Thermal Analysis Engineer, you will serve as a key member of the vehicle engineering team to develop and maintain thermal system architectures and collaborate cross-functionally with hardware, production, software, and mission ops to ensure vehicle health and performance through all mission phases.

Your work directly influences design and performance of Varda’s spacecraft and will often flex between quick evaluations and high-fidelity analysis. You will also contribute to thermal modeling and data processing workflows to build more efficient and robust systems as we scale in vehicle cadence. A proactive problem-solving approach and commitment to meeting tight schedules are critical to supporting Varda's goals of expanding in-space manufacturing. We are in the mission of developing engineering systems for life-changing products in microgravity for patients on Earth and looking for skilled and driven teammates to help us get there.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain integrated thermal analysis models for Varda’s space vehicles
• Create and maintain tools/systems for model and flight data processing
• Ensure spacecraft remains within operating and survival limits during all mission phases via passive and active thermal control
• Collaborate with other spacecraft disciplines to drive hardware, software, and/or con-ops improvements
• Plan, execute, and anchor models to Thermal Vacuum (TVac) testing
• Provide guidance to vehicle level testing, such as thermal bakeout, Vehicle-In-The-Loop (VITL), propulsion hot fire, etc.
• Work independently with minimal technical oversight
• Mentor junior engineers and serve as a technical peer reviewer

Basic Qualifications

• B.S.in Mechanical, Aerospace, or a related discipline, with consideration given to equivalent professional experience (typically 3–6+ years)
• 3+ years of experience and knowledge in developing passive and active thermal control systems
• Proficiency in detailed thermal analysis in Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT
• Experience anchoring thermal models to test and/or flight data
• Experience in planning and executing Thermal Vacuum Chamber (TVac) testing
• Experience in MATLAB (or equivalent) for data processing and task automation
• Familiarity with thermal margins and qualification test requirements in SMC-S-016
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with an aptitude for interdisciplinary technical communication

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Master's degree in a related engineering discipline and 3+ years of related professional experience
• Experience of an entire spacecraft vehicle lifecycle, from initial concept, design development, production, integration, and test to mission operations
• Experience in thermal design and analysis of reentry systems
• A track record of taking ownership of projects and delivering results in a fast-paced environment

Pay Range

• Salary Range:Senior: $140,333- $179,314/per year
• Leveling and base salary is 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

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.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

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 measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis 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.