Thermal Hardware Engineer; Passive & Control Systems

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.

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.

The Thermal Hardware Engineer is the Responsible Engineer (RE) for the hardware design of vehicle thermal and fluid systems. This role encompasses the development of tubing, valves, pumps, MLI, thermal straps, thermal switches, phase change materials, etc., used in passive and active thermal control systems. Day-to-day responsibilities will be focused in CAD design, drawings, GD&T, manufacturing, testing, procurement, and analysis. This is a great opportunity to grow your engineering skills with exposure to all aspects of spacecraft analysis and design.

A proactive problem‑solving approach and commitment to meeting tight schedules are critical to supporting Varda's goals of expanding manufacturing capabilities and reentry systems.

• Conceive new thermal control concepts, assess feasibility, mitigate risk through test and analysis, and drive towards final hardware design.
• Derive hardware requirements and perform initial design trades given open-ended problem statements and stakeholder input.
• Work collaboratively with other spacecraft disciplines (payload, structures, avionics, software, integration, test, and operations) to design and develop thermal/fluid systems to meet vehicle requirements.
• Evaluate the impact of hardware design decisions on packaging, thermal, environmental, and loads to ensure the best system‑level solution.
• Develop Thermal/Fluid hardware CAD design and drawings.
• Conduct component‑level structural, thermal, and fluid analysis.
• Inform manufacturing and integration of thermal/fluid hardware onto the vehicle.
• Conduct component‑level acceptance and qualification tests for the space environment.
• Develop tooling to support hardware integration and testing.

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant engineering discipline with 1+ years of experience applying engineering principles to design and develop thermal/fluid or mechanical systems.
• Familiarity with 3D CAD skills (ideally NX) and experience translating models to production intent (detailed drawings, work instructions, etc.)
• Strong heat transfer and stress first principles.
• Ability to perform appropriate fluid, structural, and thermal analyses to demonstrate that a fluid system design meets requirements (e.g., hand calcs, Excel, Ansys, Femap, Nastran, COMSOL, etc.)
• Experience in 0D and 1D thermal and/or fluid networks.
• Familiarity working with fluid components, including valves, motors, pumps, etc.
• Experience in MATLAB (or equivalent) for data processing and task automation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with an aptitude for interdisciplinary technical communication.
• Eagerness to learn and work on hands‑on hardware projects.
• Ability to successfully respond to evolving requirements in a fast‑moving organization.
• Excitement about making history at the forefront of both the space and…