Thermofluids Engineer II

About this Role

As the Thermofluids Engineer II, you will be responsible for driving fluid system design for thermal management on the spacecraft through analysis, test, and validation. This role supports development and characterization of thermomechanical and fluid systems for payload, vehicle, and propulsion applications. You will be responsible for defining performance metrics, operational requirements, and hardware requirements for ground testing and flight.

Day-to-day responsibilities include sizing thermofluid and system and component performance via hand calculations, simulation, and testing. Familiarity with typical thermomechanical hardware (valves, pumps, accumulators, heat exchangers, etc.), 0D and 1D fluid networks, and fluid system modeling is essential. Successful candidates thrive on solving hard problems, adapting to dynamic requirements, and collaborating across multiple domains. You will gain significant ownership, see your contributions rapidly come to life.

Responsibilities

• Develop active thermal control systems for vehicle and payload thermal management
• Develop fluid network models to interface with top level vehicle thermal model
• Define hardware and operational requirements for fluid systems based on analysis and testing
• Inform manufacturing and integration of thermal/fluid hardware onto the vehicle
• Work collaboratively with other spacecraft disciplines (payload, mechanical, software, propulsion) to design and develop thermal/fluid systems to meet vehicle requirements
• Characterize thermofluid performance of propulsion systems from analysis, ground testing, and flight data
• Develop data processing infrastructure for ground and flight thermofluids systems

Basic Qualifications

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline, with consideration given to equivalent professional experience (typically 1-3+ years)
• 1+ years experience in thermofluids and/or propulsion systems in a manufacturing environment
• Strong heat transfer and incompressible fluid mechanics first principles
• Background in 0D and 1D thermal and/or fluid networks
• Expertise in one or more fluid or thermal modeling tools (SINDA/FLUINT, ANSYS, GFSSP, etc.)
• Knowledge with thermomechanical systems: heat exchangers, cold plates, vacuum chambers, pumps, valves, RTDs, transducers, etc.
• Hands-on experience in thermal and TVAC testing
• Experience in MATLAB (or equivalent) for data processing and task automation
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with an aptitude for interdisciplinary technical communication

Preferred Skills and Experience

• 3+ years' experience in thermofluids and/or propulsion systems in a manufacturing environment
• Master's degree in an engineering discipline, with consideration given to equivalent professional experience
• Experience with Thermal Desktop, SINDA/FLUINT
• Experience in propulsion systems and thruster characterization
• A track record of taking ownership of projects and delivering results in a fast-paced environment

Pay Range

• Salary Range: Eng II: $119,543- $152,749/ 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

• Consider your benefits covered for launch.
• At Varda, we invest in benefits and perks that support your health, financial well-being, and life beyond work.
• Benefits vary by position, with packages designed specifically for our regular full-time employees and interns.

Regular Full-Time Positions: 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

Intern Positions: Health & Wellness

• Paid observed holidays

Financial

• $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement
• Up to $4,000 gross up in relocation support, if eligible
• Up to $850 commute credit through Lyft or car rental reimbursement, if eligible

Workplace Experience & Perks

• Complimentary EV charging

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).