Thermal Hardware and Test Engineer II Verified today
About Varda
Varda is building commercial space infrastructure, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing vehicles, reentry capsules, heat shields, and satellite buses. Our W-Series vehicles are designed, built, and operated entirely in-house.
About the Role
As Thermal Hardware and Test Engineer II, you will own hardware design, build, and test for ground and spacecraft thermal and fluid systems. This is a hands-on role spanning mechanical, electrical, fluid, and control disciplines. You will develop active and passive thermal control systems such as heat pipes, pumped fluid loops, and thermal switches, plus supporting test infrastructure.
Day-to-day work focuses on thermomechanical hardware sizing, CAD design, fabrication, testing, instrumentation, and troubleshooting. You will gain significant ownership and see contributions come to life rapidly.
Responsibilities
- Drive end-to-end development of thermal hardware and test infrastructure: concept, design, fabrication, integration, validation, and maintenance
- Develop active and passive thermal control systems for payload and vehicle thermal control
- Inform manufacturing and integration of thermal and fluid hardware onto the vehicle
- Conduct component-level acceptance and qualification thermal vacuum tests
- Evaluate hardware design impact on packaging, thermal, environmental, and loads to ensure system-level solutions
- Architect and assemble fluid, thermal, mechanical, and electrical designs, test rigs, and fixtures
- Implement instrumentation and data acquisition solutions, integrating sensors, transducers, actuators, PLCs, and embedded controllers
- Generate documentation for procedures, schematics, and reports for ground test and flight hardware
- Apply first-principles thinking to diagnose issues, resolve anomalies, and optimize equipment reliability to greater than 99% uptime
Basic Qualifications
- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline, with consideration given to equivalent professional experience (typically 1-3+ years)
- 3+ years of experience applying engineering principles to thermal design, test, and fabrication in a manufacturing environment
- Proficiency in detailed thermal analysis using Thermal Desktop or SINDA/FLUINT
- Experience anchoring thermal models to test and/or flight data
- Experience planning and executing Thermal Vacuum Chamber (TVac) testing
- Experience in MATLAB or equivalent for data processing and task automation
- Familiarity with thermal margins and qualification test requirements in SMC-S-016
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with aptitude for interdisciplinary technical communication
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Hands-on fabrication skills: basic machining, welding, or rapid prototyping
- Thermal analysis tools: Thermal Desktop or ANSYS
- Proven track record of formal project management and delivering results in a fast-paced environment
Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $119,543-$152,749 per year for Eng II level. Leveling and base salary determined by job-related skills, education, experience, and performance. You will be eligible for stock options and/or long-term cash awards.
Full-time employees receive health and wellness benefits (100% company-paid Medical, Dental, Vision with FSA and employer-matched HSA options), 12 paid holidays plus flexible PTO, 12 weeks parental leave, $120/month wellness reimbursement, 401(k) with 6% employer match (immediately vested), $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement, relocation support, fully stocked kitchen with daily lunch and twice-weekly dinner, complimentary EV charging, and company events.
ITAR Requirements
Employees have access to export-controlled items. Varda hires only "U.S. persons": U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents, or individuals admitted as refugees or granted asylum.