Senior Thermal Engineer
Varda Space Industries
Posted about 4 hours ago
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.
Senior Thermal Analysis Engineer Varda Space Industries · El Segundo, CA · On-site
About this role
Shape the future of in-space manufacturing. As a Senior Thermal Analysis Engineer at Varda, you'll own thermal architecture for vehicles that ascend, operate on orbit, and return to Earth — from first-principles hand calculations to flight-anchored models. This is a rare role with full lifecycle exposure: concept, design, production, integration, test, and live mission operations.
You'll serve as the thermal authority across the vehicle engineering team, interfacing with structures, avionics, GNC, and mission operations to ensure every component and system survives every environment, every phase. A proactive problem-solving mindset and comfort with tight schedules are essential — as is a genuine curiosity about the physics of heat and mass transfer.
What you'll do
- Develop and maintain integrated thermal analysis models for Varda's space vehicles across all mission phases, from ascent through reentry
- Define passive and active thermal control architecture — MLI blankets, optical coatings, heaters, heat pipes, and more — with a bias toward operational simplicity and system robustness
- Predict thermal loads and provide guidance for component-level acceptance and qualification testing
- Plan and execute vehicle-level Thermal Vacuum (TVac) test campaigns for future vehicles
- Anchor thermal models to TVac and flight data; continuously assess performance and improve model fidelity
- Publish flight temperature predictions and active thermal control outputs to support hardware teams, energy budgets, and mission operations
- Flex between quick hand calculations and detailed analysis to support program decisions and assess vehicle risk
- Contribute to thermal team data processing and documentation workflows as vehicle production and mission operations scale
- Mentor junior engineers and serve as a technical peer reviewer
- Work collaboratively with other disciplines to define thermal hardware requirements (optical properties, conductances, insulation, attitude control, etc.)
What we're looking for
Minimum qualifications:
- BS in Mechanical, Aerospace, or related engineering + 5 years of related professional experience, or MS + 3 years
- Experience developing passive and active thermal control systems
- Proficiency in Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT, ANSYS, or MSC Nastran
- Experience anchoring thermal models to test and/or flight data
- Experience in planning and executing TVac testing
- MATLAB (or equivalent) for data processing and task automation
- Ability to structure open-ended problems and perform initial sizing with hand calculations
- Experience with 0D and 1D thermal and/or fluid networks
- Familiarity with thermal margins and test requirements per SMC-S-016
- Strong written and verbal communication skills across disciplines (structures, avionics, software, GNC, production, etc.)
Preferred qualifications:
- 7–10+ years of related professional experience
- Experience across the full spacecraft lifecycle — concept through mission operations
- Familiarity with spacecraft thermal control technologies (heat pipes, pumped fluid systems, thermal blankets, optical coatings)
- Experience in thermal design and analysis of reentry systems
- Project management or technical leadership experience
Compensation
- Base salary: $133,650 – $175,000 per year, based on experience, skills, and performance
- Equity: stock options and/or long-term cash awards
- Location: on-site in El Segundo, CA
ITAR Requirements
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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.)
Learn more about the ITAR here.
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.
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
Job details
Workplace
Office
Location
El Segundo, California, United States
Experience
SE
Salary
134k - 175k USD
per year
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