Principal Materials and Process Engineer

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

As a Principal Materials and Process Engineer at Varda, you will have the opportunity to set the technical direction for materials and processes across the company as we scale from a few bespoke vehicles to many consistent, concurrent builds. This role is the recognized subject-matter expert for the special processes used on flight hardware, including ablative and thermal protection systems (TPS), coatings, polymers, composites, adhesives, wet chemical processing, corrosion control, and metallic structures.

The Principal Materials and Process Engineer defines the standards, specifications, process qualifications, and control plans that Varda and its suppliers build to, and leads RCCAs, MRB, and failure investigations for the most critical material and process non-conformances. You will make sound decisions quickly without established infrastructure, influence material decisions owned by other teams, and hire and mentor engineers. You will also help build Varda's materials and processes function, including approved materials and processes lists, materials usage agreement processes, and in-house materials lab capability. Materials and Process Engineers are a vital part of increasing Varda's build cadence, working directly with design engineers, technicians, and suppliers across the full range of materials and processes required to manufacture our vehicles. The focus of the job is to implement incremental improvement for every vehicle Varda produces while establishing the standards that let the whole organization scale.

Responsibilities

• Establish, qualify, and maintain special processes for flight hardware, including ablative and thermal protection systems (TPS), coatings, polymers, composites, adhesives, and metallic structures
• Engineer and control wet chemical processes such as cleaning, etching, passivation, and conversion coating
• Implement corrosion prevention and control practices, and assess chemical compatibility among materials, process fluids, and service environments
• Design experiments, test methodologies, and pathfinder hardware to de-risk new processes, then characterize results through mechanical, thermal, chemical, and microstructural testing and apply statistical methods to define process windows
• Define tooling, fixtures, test equipment, cleanliness, contamination control, and material handling requirements for assigned processes and hardware
• Author and maintain Special Process Specifications, Process Qualification and Validation Records, and Control Plans
• Lead and support RCCAs, MRB, and failure review boards for material and process non-conformances, including corrosion, surface contamination, and defects found in NDE, test, or inspection; perform failure analysis (fractography, metallography, SEM/EDS, chemical analysis) in-house or through partner labs

Pay Range

• Salary Range: $181,913 - $262,763/per year
• This role is on-site 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

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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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.