Principal Fluid Systems Engineer - Pharmaceutical Payloads

About the role

Varda is seeking a Principal Fluid Systems Engineer to join our Payload team. This role involves defining and leading the development of first-of-its-kind electromechanical fluid handling hardware that manufactures pharmaceuticals in microgravity, endures hypersonic reentry, and returns to Earth for material extraction. Key responsibilities include:

• Define requirements, architecture, and development plans for pharmaceutical manufacturing payloads
• Lead project teams to develop precision fluid systems incorporating various components
• Drive system-level analyses, trade studies, and risk reduction
• Characterize performance and reliability of prototypes and flight hardware
• Synthesize cross-functional inputs from various teams to develop requirements for new payloads
• Represent Varda in technical discussions with internal leadership and external partners
• Mentor senior and entry-level engineers and shape best practices

Requirements

• BS/BEng in Mechanical, Aerospace, Mechatronics, Biomedical, Chemical, or related engineering discipline
• 7+ years of experience designing, integrating, testing, and troubleshooting electromechanical hardware
• Deep mechanical and fluid systems expertise with breadth in at least two adjacent disciplines
• Track record leading project teams through full-cycle electromechanical space flight hardware development
• Extensive experience with valves, pumps, pistons, tubing, manifolds, fittings, seals, filters, sensors, metering hardware, thermal-control hardware, and/or compact fluidic assemblies
• Excellent communication skills with customer, executive, and cross-disciplinary technical audiences

Qualifications

• 3+ years of cross-functional project leadership experience
• Prior full-cycle technical leadership of precision fluid-handling hardware for relevant applications
• Experience in In Space: ECLSS, low-thrust propulsion, astronaut suits, spacecraft thermal control, etc.
• On Earth: semiconductor process equipment, biotech process equipment, analytical instruments, medical devices, etc.
• Extensive experience planning and executing aerospace environmental testing (vibration, TVAC, EMI/EMC)
• Familiarity with microgravity fluid behavior, capillary-driven flows, gas/liquid separation, two-phase flow, cGMP principles, cleanroom practices, or regulated hardware environments