Principal Aerodynamics Engineer
About this role
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.
Varda was founded under the belief manufacturing in zero-gravity is critical to unlocking new materials. We are actively working on spacecraft and technologies to make this possible and expand humanity’s manufacturing capabilities.
The ideal candidate will lead the aerodynamic development of Varda’s next reentry vehicle – from rarefied entry, to hypersonic maneuvering, and subsonic terminal approach. The candidate must have experience with: 6-DOF reentry vehicle dynamics, hypersonic computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, and running wind tunnel campaigns. The ideal candidate should have been involved in the aerodynamic development of a currently-flying vehicle from cradle to grave.
Basic Qualifications:
- BS in an engineering of physics & 5+ years of relevant industry experience
- Significant contribution to aerodynamic development of a hypersonic vehicle that has flown or is expected to fly in the next 5 years
- Managed an aerodynamic or flight program that collected data from: test, CFD, flight, and other sources
- Experience running CFD and DSMC simulations of hypersonic and subsonic flows: (Fun3D, Laura, DPLR, US3D, Sparta, DAC, CBAero)
- Comfortable building structured and unstructured meshes in Pointwise
- Experience with Matlab, or Python languages
- Experience with wind tunnel campaigns
- Experience developing an aerodynamic database for a vehicle from scratch
- Basic technical breadth across other disciplines (avionics, software, GNC, etc.).
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with an aptitude for interdisciplinary technical communication.
- Must be able to obtain a security clearance
Preferred Experience:
- MS or PhD degrees in Aerospace or Mechanical engineering, specializing in aerodynamics or fluid mechanics
- Familiarity with modeling vehicle dynamics in POST2 or similar tools
- Experience sizing ablative or non-ablative TPS
- Experience with flight reconstruction and post-flight performance evaluations.
- Experience with flight testing of new aerodynamic features and concepts.
- Hold a secret or TS clearance.
Pay Range
- Principal Aerodynamics Engineer: $192,500.00 - $221,375.00/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 long-term incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards
ITAR Requirements
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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. At present, some of our technology to which employees have access requires a license to be exported to individuals other than “U.S. Persons” as defined in U.S. export regulations. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our current 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 in the U.S.)
Learn more about the ITAR here.
Benefits
- Exciting team of professionals at the top of their field working by your side
- Equity in a fully funded space startup with potential for significant growth (interns excluded)
- 401(k) matching (interns excluded)
- Unlimited PTO (interns excluded)
- Health insurance, including Vision and Dental
- Lunch and snacks provided on site every day. Dinners provided twice a week.
- Maternity / Paternity leave (interns excluded)
Varda Space Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates and employees are always evaluated based on merit, qualifications, and performance. We will never discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, martial status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.
E-Verify Statement
Varda Space Industries, Inc. participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E-Verify program. The E-Verify program is an Internet-based employment eligibility verification system operated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Learn more about the E-Verify program.
E-Verify Notice Right To Work Notice
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