Mechanisms Engineer - Payloads

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 Mechanisms Engineer on Varda’s Payload team, you will develop electromechanical flight hardware that operates in orbit, endures hypersonic reentry, and returns to Earth for inspection and iteration. You will take full-stack responsibility for payloads across both pharmaceutical manufacturing and hypersonic reentry testbed missions—delivering flight hardware from concept through build, test, launch, and recovery. You’ll collaborate closely with internal specialists and external partners, translate engineering requirements into flight-ready designs, and perform hands-on integration and testing to deliver hardware that flies in months, not years. This role is ideal for engineers with strong mechanical fundamentals who want to grow their breadth across thermal, fluids, avionics, software, and integration while shipping real hardware to space and back. Responsibilities Own payload hardware from concept through design, integration, launch, reentry, and recovery Design mechanisms, structures, thermal/fluid interfaces, and electromechanical assemblies Run structural, thermal, and fluid analyses (hand calcs, simplified models, and FEA as needed) Build, instrument, and test prototypes and flight hardware Work across avionics, software, thermal, systems, and integration teams to define interfaces and ensure compatibility Serve as the primary technical point of contact for assigned payloads Generate documentation: requirements, ICDs, procedures, test reports Support mission operations and post-flight teardown Contribute to lessons learned and continuous improvement Basic Qualifications BS/BEng in Mechanical, Aerospace, Mechatronics, or related engineering discipline Strong fundamentals in structures, heat transfer, fluids, and dynamics Hands-on experience designing, integrating, testing, and troubleshooting electromechanical hardware Ability to communicate effectively across disciplines Preferred Qualifications Experience integrating electromechanical actuators, sensors, thermal control hardware and/or fluid control hardware Experience using CAD (NX preferred) and FEA (Ansys, Nastran) Exposure to aerospace environmental testing (vibration, TVAC, EMI/EMC) Customer-facing technical communication experience Ability to obtain a government security clearance Pay Range Salary range: Engineer I: $104,000.00 - $122,000.00/per year Engineer II: $119,000.00 - $153,000.00/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 Benefits Varda offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support health, financial well‑being, and a high‑quality workplace experience. Below is an overview of what full‑time employees receive (at this time, interns receive a subset of benefits):   Health & Wellness   Flexible PTO policy + 12 paid holidays   100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options Voluntary accident, hospital, critical illness, and pet insurance   $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses   12 weeks of parental leave (with supplemental disability leave for CA mothers)   Family building, pregnancy, parenting and menopause benefits via Maven Clinic   Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents   Financial & Retirement   Substantial incentive equity in a fully funded space start-up   401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match (immediately vested) $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement   Relocation support for new hires, if needed   Workplace Experience & Perks   Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly   Company and team-bonding events, happy hours and mission-success celebrations Complimentary EV charging Dog-friendly office space 🐕   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 ac