Manufacturing Engineer (Propulsion)

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.


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 a Propulsion Manufacturing Engineer at Varda, you will have the opportunity to utilize your experience to scale manufacturing from a few bespoke vehicles to many consistent, concurrent builds. This role would support propulsion system production, including valve assembly, tube fabrication, pressure vessel integration, and engine integration. The Propulsion ME owns manufacturing processes for high-pressure fluid systems and propulsion hardware from tube shop operations through acceptance testing.

Manufacturing Engineers will be a vital part in increase Varda's build cadence working directly with design engineers and technicians for a broad array of processes (structures, thermal protection systems, propulsion, and avionics components) required to manufacture our vehicles. The focus of the job is to implement incremental improvement for every vehicle Varda produces.
Responsibilities

• Provide technical direction to improve build processes to scale and hit increase vehicle cadence
• Collaborate with other engineers and technicians to solve large-scale production challenges
• Refine floor layouts, capacity models, and product flow analysis
• Develop and implement standardized processes for vehicle integration
• Assess cost of increasing work cell capabilities and proposing plans to increase internal capabilities
• Proactively coordinate with technicians team and supply chain to prevent schedule delays
• Review work instructions to make change recommendations when required and identify tooling/training gaps
• Identify and resolve non-conformance issues - implement root cause corrective actions

Basic Qualifications

• B.S. degree in mechanical, manufacturing, or aerospace engineering
• 1-4+ years of manufacturing experience
• Teamwork, communication (verbal and written), and problem solving in a collaborative environment
• Proven experience working on complex technical programs, preferably within aerospace or related industries
• Strong first principles thinking
• Hands-on experience building complex vehicles
  • Must be physically able to regularly lift 25 lbs.
  • Must be comfortable bending, stooping, and standing
  • Hands-on position may require standing and working directly with hardware on the floor

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Knowledge of aerospace vehicle systems
• Experience with project management of the full lifecycle of a project
• Experience transitioning complex assemblies from development to production, including developing the factory systems and floor layouts to make that possible
• Experience with aerospace hardware development practices (e.g., qualification testing practices, cleanliness, ESD, grounding, etc.)
• Experience across structures, propulsion, materials/thermal protection systems, and/or avionics production
• Prior work in a technical role for a launch vehicle or satellite development effort
• Experience with tooling design and analysis using 3D CAD software
• Experience using factory layout design tools (e.g. SketchUp, Autodesk, Draw.io, etc...)

Pay Range

• Salary Range:
  • Eng I/II: $109,000-139,000
  • Senior: $140,000-179,000
• This role is on-sitein El Segundo, CA
• 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 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.

Benefits

Varda offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support health, financial well-being, and a high-quality workplace experience. Below is an overview of what full-time employees receive (at this time, interns receive a subset of benefits):


Health & Wellness

• 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
• Voluntary accident, hospital, critical illness, and pet insurance
• $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses
• 12 weeks of parental leave (with supplemental disability leave for CA mothers)
• Family building, pregnancy, parenting and menopause benefits via Maven Clinic
• Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents

Financial & Retirement

• Substantial incentive equity in a fully funded space start-up
• 401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match (immediately vested)
• $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement
• Relocation support for new hires, if needed

Workplace Experience & Perks

• Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly
• Company and team-bonding events, happy hours and mission-success celebrations
• Complimentary EV charging
• Dog-friendly office space

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. At present, some of our technology to which employees have access requires a license to be exported to individuals other than "U.S. Persons" as defined in U.S. export regulations. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our current 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 in the U.S.)

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.

E-Verify Notice Right To Work Notice

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