Materials and Process Engineer II

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 Materials and Process Engineer II at Varda, you will have the opportunity to apply your materials science fundamentals to the special processes that protect and build our reentry vehicles. This role supports the development, qualification, and control of processes for flight hardware, including ablative and thermal protection systems (TPS), coatings, polymers, composites, adhesives, wet chemical processing, and metallic structures.

The Materials and Process Engineer II designs experiments and pathfinder hardware, characterizes materials through mechanical, thermal, chemical, and microstructural testing, and uses statistics to define robust process windows. You will also contribute to root cause and corrective action (RCCA), material review board (MRB), and failure investigations, working directly with design engineers, technicians, and quality to resolve material and process non-conformances. Materials and Process Engineers are a vital part of helping Varda build flight hardware consistently and at increasing cadence. The focus of the job is to turn well-understood materials and processes into repeatable, documented results for every vehicle Varda produces

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

Basic Qualifications

• B.S. in Materials Science, Mechanical, Chemical, or Aerospace Engineering (or similar), or equivalent demonstrated experience

• 1+ years of materials, process, or manufacturing engineering experience in aerospace or another high-reliability industry

• Strong foundation in materials science (metals, polymers, ceramics, composites), including failure modes, corrosion mechanisms, and chemical compatibility with process chemicals

• Hands-on experience with at least one relevant process or lab method, such as composite layup and cure, bonding, coating, ablative/TPS fabrication, wet chemical processing, welding, machining, mechanical testing, or metallography

• Working knowledge of basic statistics (distributions, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, regression)

• Ability to read engineering drawings, material specifications, and test reports, and to apply first-principles problem solving to diagnose process defects and drive corrective action

• Experience safely handling process chemicals (acids, bases, solvents) with proper PPE and procedures.

• Ability to regularly lift 25 lbs., bend, stoop, and stand for extended periods while working directly with flight hardware

Preferred Skills and Experience

• M.S. or PhD in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline

• Ablative and high-temperature materials (PICA, carbon-carbon, ceramic matrix composites, silicone- or epoxy-based ablatives)

• Polymer and composite processing (prepreg layup, autoclave and out-of-autoclave cure, resin infusion, potting, bonding, cure kinetics)

• Coatings and surface treatments (thermal barrier coatings, anodize, conversion coatings, passivation, paints, primers), including surface prep and adhesion testing

• Corrosion testing (salt spray, galvanic compatibility, crevice and stress corrosion, electrochemical methods)

• Wet chemical processing: bath chemistry control, high-purity (DI or RO) water systems, and precision cleaning with cleanliness verification (NVR, particulate, water-break)

• Aerospace metals (stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, nickel alloys) and their processing: heat treatment, welding, brazing, finishing

• Statistical methods (SPC, gage R&R, Cp/Cpk, DOE) using JMP, Minitab, Python, or similar

• Thermal and chemical analysis (DSC, TGA, DMA, FTIR), mechanical testing (tensile, flexure, shear, peel, hardness), and NDE (ultrasonic, dye penetrant, X-ray, thermography), with strong results interpretation

• Writing material and process specifications, test reports, and engineering memos

• Supporting process qualification, first article builds, and RCCAs

• Familiarity with space environment M&P requirements (outgassing, contamination control, electrical bonding and grounding) and standards (AWS, ASTM, AMS, MMPDS)

Pay Range

• Salary Range: Eng II: $119,543 - $172,673/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

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. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our 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).

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.