Principal Fluid Systems Engineer

Responsibilities

• Define requirements, architecture, and development plans for pharmaceutical manufacturing payloads
• Establish fluid system design standards for component selection, sealing, contamination control, and thermal control
• Lead project teams to develop precision fluid systems including valves, pumps, manifolds, and sensors
• Drive system-level analyses, trade studies, and risk reduction using hand calcs, Python/MATLAB, or FEA
• Lead build and test campaigns for prototypes and flight hardware to characterize performance and reliability
• Synthesize cross-functional inputs from pharmaceutical science and spacecraft subsystem teams
• Mentor senior and entry-level engineers and shape technical best practices

Requirements

• BS/BEng in Mechanical, Aerospace, Mechatronics, Biomedical, Chemical, or related engineering discipline
• 7+ years of experience designing, integrating, testing, and troubleshooting electromechanical hardware
• Deep mechanical and fluid systems expertise with breadth in adjacent disciplines (e.g., avionics, thermal, or instrumentation)
• Proven track record leading project teams through full-cycle electromechanical space flight hardware development
• Extensive experience with fluidic components such as valves, pumps, tubing, manifolds, and seals
• Must be a US Person (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual) as defined by ITAR

Preferred Qualifications

• 3+ years of cross-functional project leadership experience
• Prior technical leadership of precision fluid-handling hardware in space (ECLSS, propulsion) or terrestrial high-tech industries (semiconductor, biotech, medical devices)
• Extensive experience planning and executing aerospace environmental testing (vibration, TVAC, EMI/EMC)
• Familiarity with microgravity fluid behavior, two-phase flow, or cGMP principles

Benefits

• Equity in a fully funded space startup
• 401(k) matching
• Unlimited PTO
• Health insurance, including Vision and Dental
• On-site lunch and snacks, with dinners provided twice a week
• Maternity / 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.