Structures Engineer

Varda Space; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 105,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Long-term cash awards

Job summary

Varda Space is seeking a motivated Structures Engineer to join our El Segundo team. You will support the design, analysis, testing, and integration of structural components for spaceflight systems and reentry vehicles.

This is a great opportunity to grow your engineering skills on real hardware in a fast-paced environment. You’ll work on spacecraft structures, ground support equipment, and tooling, applying engineering fundamentals to solve complex problems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline with 1+ years of related experience.
• Strong understanding of structural design, analysis, and testing.
• Ability to perform structural analyses (hand calcs, FE tools) to show designs meet requirements.

Responsibilities

• Derive hardware requirements and perform initial design trades.
• Evaluate impact of hardware design on packaging, thermal, environmental loads.
• Own all aspects of hardware delivery, both technical and administrative.
• Use hand calculations, FE analyses, and CAD to ensure hardware meets requirements.
• Design and execute development and qualification testing.
• Develop tooling to support hardware integration and testing.

Skills

First principles thinking

Structural design

Writing & speaking

Hands-on hardware

Communication

Education

Bachelor of Engineering

Tools

ANSYS

Femap

Nastran

NX (CAD)

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.

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 looking for a motivated Structures Engineer to join our team. In this role, you'll support the design, analysis, testing, and integration of structural components for our spaceflight systems and reentry vehicles. This is a great opportunity to grow your engineering skills while working alongside experienced engineers on real hardware in a fast-paced environment. You’ll contribute to projects that range from spacecraft structures to mechanical ground support equipment, while learning how to apply engineering fundamentals to solve complex, real-world problems.

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.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant engineering discipline with 1+ years of experience in related applications (e.g., structures for automotive, aircraft, spacecraft, etc.).
• Strong first principles thinking with an understanding of structural design, analysis, and test.
• Ability to perform appropriate structural analyses to demonstrate that a structure design meets or exceeds requirements (e.g., Hand Calcs, Ansys, Femap, Nastran, etc.).
• Familiarity with 3D CAD software (ideally NX).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Eagerness to learn and work on hands‑on hardware projects.
• 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.).
• Experience with programming tools (Python, Matlab, etc.).
• Comfortable with hands‑on assembly, fabrication, and machining of metallic parts.
• Familiarity with PLM software (ideally Teamcenter)

Pay Range

• E1: $105,000 - $140,000 per year (1-1.5 years of exp)
• E2: $120,000 - $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 theE-Verify program.

E-Verify Notice Right To Work Notice

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.