Senior Fluid Systems Engineer - Pharmaceutical Payloads

About this Role

As a Senior Fluid Systems Engineer on Varda's Payload team, you will develop first of its kind electromechanical fluid-handling hardware that manufactures pharmaceuticals in microgravity, endures hypersonic reentry, and returns to Earth for material extraction. Your payloads will precisely meter, mix, filter, transport, and thermally control pharmaceutical materials in compact spacecraft-compatible hardware. You'll be responsible for the full payload lifecycle—driving development from concept through design, analysis, build, test, launch, on-orbit operation, recovery, post-flight inspection, and iteration for future missions.

You'll collaborate closely with pharmaceutical scientists and process engineers to translate mission objectives into qualified hardware that flies in months, not years. This role is ideal for engineers who pair strong mechanical and fluid systems expertise with the breadth to drive cross-functional efforts across thermal, mechanisms, avionics, software, integration, and test while delivering complex hardware on short development timelines.

Responsibilities

• Own pharmaceutical manufacturing payloads from concept through design, integration, launch, in-orbit operation, reentry, and recovery
• Lead the design of precision fluid systems including valves, pumps, pistons, manifolds, tubing, fittings, seals, filters, sensors, and thermal-control systems
• Independently perform fluid, thermal, structural, and mechanism analyses (hand calcs, Python/MATLAB models, and FEA as needed)
• Build, instrument, and test prototypes and flight hardware to characterize flow rate, mixing, filtration, sealing, leak rate, pressure drop, thermal stability, contamination sensitivity, and reliability
• Integrate cross-functional inputs from business development, pharmaceutical science, and spacecraft subsystem teams into payload requirements
• Develop subsystem requirements, ICDs, verification plans, test reports, and recovery procedures
• Lead continuous improvement and incorporation of lessons learned
• Mentor entry-level engineers and interns

Basic Qualifications

• BS/BEng in Mechanical, Aerospace, Mechatronics, Biomedical, Chemical, or related engineering discipline
• 4+ years of experience designing, integrating, testing, and troubleshooting electromechanical hardware
• Strong mechanical and fluid systems expertise with breadth in at least one adjacent discipline such as avionics, software, thermal, optics, test, precision instrumentation, etc.
• Experience delivering hardware for rigorous environments such as aerospace, defense, semiconductor manufacturing, or biotech manufacturing
• Experience with valves, pumps, pistons, tubing, manifolds, fittings, seals, filters, sensors, metering hardware, thermal-control hardware, and/or compact fluidic assemblies
• Ability to independently define tasks, manage schedules, and deliver integrated hardware
• Excellent cross-disciplinary communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior full-cycle ownership of precision fluid-handling hardware for relevant applications
  • In Space: ECLSS, low-thrust propulsion, astronaut suits, spacecraft thermal control, etc.
  • On Earth: semiconductor process equipment, biotech process equipment, analytical instruments, medical devices, etc.
• Experience with P&IDs, fluid schematics, component sizing, pressure-drop analysis, leak testing, flow characterization, 0D/1D fluid/thermal modeling, or design of experiments for process hardware
• Experience with compact systems that control small volumes of liquids or gases under thermal, cleanliness, pressure, sterility, or contamination constraints
• Experience planning and executing aerospace environmental testing (vibration, TVAC, EMI/EMC)
• Familiarity with microgravity fluid behavior, capillary-driven flows, gas/liquid separation, two-phase flow, cGMP principles, cleanroom practices, or regulated hardware environments

Pay Range

• Salary Range: $133,000.00 - $170,000.00 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