Director, Mechanisms Engineering - Pharmaceutical Payloads

Responsibilities

• Build and lead a team of payload engineers responsible for executing individual pharmaceutical payload missions
• Own the pharmaceutical payload development roadmap, driving design iteration and scaling mission cadence
• Manage a portfolio of concurrent payload development efforts, ensuring schedule, technical performance, and engineering quality
• Define and maintain standards for payload design, analysis, integration, testing, and mission execution
• Work closely with avionics, software, thermal, systems, and vehicle teams to define payload interfaces and constraints
• Mentor engineers and develop future technical and people leaders
• Drive continuous improvement through lessons learned and feedback from flight programs

Requirements

• BS/BEng in Mechanical, Aerospace, Biomedical, Mechatronics, or a related engineering discipline
• 10+ years of experience designing, integrating, testing, and delivering complex electromechanical hardware involving precision fluid handling
• 3+ years of experience leading teams through full-cycle hardware development
• Experience with electromechanical fluid systems in high-reliability or extreme environments (e.g., space, medical devices, or semiconductor equipment)
• Demonstrated ability to set technical direction and deliver results through other engineers
• Ability to work onsite in El Segundo, CA

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional or academic exposure to chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, or process engineering
• Experience developing or operating hardware for pharmaceutical, bioprocess, or sterile/cleanroom manufacturing
• Familiarity with microgravity fluid behavior, capillary-driven flows, or two-phase fluid management
• Familiarity with cGMP principles or regulated hardware environments
• Significant experience planning and executing environmental testing (vibration, TVAC, EMI/EMC)

Benefits

• Equity in a fully funded space startup with potential for significant growth
• 401(k) matching
• Unlimited PTO
• Health insurance, including Vision and Dental
• On-site lunch and snacks provided daily, with dinners provided twice a week
• Maternity and Paternity leave

About the Company

Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules. Our mission is to expand the economic bounds of humankind by creating the products and infrastructure needed so space can directly benefit life on Earth.