Mechanisms Engineer – Payloads

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 accomplish 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 Mechanisms Engineer on Varda’s Payload team, you will develop electromechanical flight hardware that operates in orbit, endures hypersonic reentry, and returns to Earth for inspection and iteration. You will take full‑stack responsibility for payloads across both pharmaceutical manufacturing and hypersonic reentry testbed missions—delivering flight hardware from concept through build, test, launch, and recovery.

You’ll collaborate closely with internal specialists and external partners, translate engineering requirements into flight‑ready designs, and perform hands‑on integration and testing to deliver hardware that flies in months, not years. This role is ideal for engineers with strong mechanical fundamentals who want to grow their breadth across thermal, fluids, avionics, software, and integration while shipping real hardware to space and back.

Responsibilities

Own payload hardware from concept through design, integration, launch, reentry, and recovery

Design mechanisms, structures, thermal/fluid interfaces, and electromechanical assemblies

Run structural, thermal, and fluid analyses (hand calcs, simplified models, and FEA as needed)

Build, instrument, and test prototypes and flight hardware

Work across avionics, software, thermal, systems, and integration teams to define interfaces and ensure compatibility

Serve as the primary technical point of contact for assigned payloads

Generate documentation: requirements, ICDs, procedures, test reports

Support mission operations and post‑flight teardown

Contribute to lessons learned and continuous improvement

Basic Qualifications

BS/BEng in Mechanical, Aerospace, Mechatronics, or related engineering discipline

Strong fundamentals in structures, heat transfer, fluids, and dynamics

Hands‑on experience designing, integrating, testing, and troubleshooting electromechanical hardware

Ability to communicate effectively across disciplines

Preferred Qualifications

Experience integrating electromechanical actuators, sensors, thermal control hardware and/or fluid control hardware

Experience using CAD (NX preferred) and FEA (Ansys, Nastran)

Exposure to aerospace environmental testing (vibration, TVAC, EMI/EMC)

Customer‑facing technical communication experience

Ability to obtain a government security clearance

Pay Range

Engineer I: $104,000.00 – $130,000.00 per year

Engineer II: $114,000.00 – $145,000.00 per year

This role is onsite in 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

Benefits

Exciting team of professionals at the top of their field working by your side

Equity in a fully funded space startup with potential for significant growth (interns excluded)

401(k) matching (interns excluded)

Unlimited PTO (interns excluded)

Health insurance, including Vision and Dental

Lunch and snacks provided on site every day. Dinners provided twice a week.

Maternity / Paternity leave (interns excluded)

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.

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