Senior Manufacturing Engineer; Propulsion

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 in‑house and include pharmaceutical processing payloads, reentry capsules, C‑PICA heat shields, and satellite buses. From life‑saving pharmaceuticals to more powerful fiber optics, there are a world of products that can only be manufactured in space. Varda is accelerating innovation in the orbital economy by creating 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 from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies, and Silicon Valley. Varda was founded in January 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov with backing from Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Caffeinated Capital, General Catalyst, and Also Capital. The company is headquartered in El Siguiente, California, with offices also in Washington, DC, and Huntsville, AL.

Join Varda to help build a bustling in‑space ecosystem.

As the Senior Propulsion Manufacturing Engineer at Varda, you will utilize your experience to scale manufacturing from a few bespoke vehicles to many consistent, concurrent builds. This role supports propulsion system production, including valve assembly, tube fabrication, pressure vessel integration, and engine integration. You will own manufacturing processes for high‑pressure fluid systems and propulsion hardware, working directly with design engineers and technicians across the full range of processes required to manufacture our vehicles, and focus on implementing incremental improvement for every vehicle Varda produces.

• Own end‑to‑end manufacturing processes for propulsion system production: valve assembly, tube fabrication, pressure vessel integration, and engine integration
• Develop and maintain work instructions, process traveler documents, and process specifications for high‑pressure fluid systems and propulsion hardware
• Provide technical direction to improve propulsion build processes and drive increased vehicle production cadence
• Implement and enforce propulsion‑specific cleanliness protocols, contamination control procedures, and propellant compatibility requirements
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions (RCCA) for propulsion non‑conformances, including leak events, contamination findings, and assembly defects
• Define tooling and test equipment requirements for tube shop operations, leak checks, and propulsion acceptance testing
• Collaborate with design engineers and supply chain to prevent schedule delays and resolve incoming hardware quality issues
• Refine propulsion work cell layouts and product flow to support cadence increase and concurrent vehicle builds

• B.S. in Mechanical, Manufacturing, or a related discipline, with consideration given to equivalent professional experience (typically 3–6+ years)
• 3+ years of manufacturing experience with propulsion systems, fluid systems, or high‑pressure hardware in aerospace or a related industry
• Hands‑on experience with tube fabrication, tube bending, tube fitting installation, and high‑pressure fluid system assembly
• Familiarity with propulsion system cleanliness requirements, cleanliness verification methods, and contamination control procedures
• Experience reading and interpreting engineering drawings, P&IDs, and assembly models for fluid systems
• Strong first‑principles problem‑solving capability; able to diagnose propulsion build defects and drive corrective action to closure
• Must be physically able to regularly lift 25 lbs., bend, stoop, and stand for extended periods while working directly with flight hardware

• M.S. degree in Mechanical engineering specialized in Fluid Mechanics, Process Engineering, or related discipline
• Experience manufacturing and assembling propulsion systems for launch vehicles, spacecraft, or hypersonic vehicles,…