Expanding the economic bounds of humankind with the world's first orbital manufacturing & reentry platform. Backed by General Catalyst, Khosla and Founders Fund.
About the role
As a Thermal Protection System (TPS) Manufacturing Engineer at Varda, you will own the manufacturing processes for the ablative and insulative materials that protect our reentry capsules during the most demanding phase of the mission- reentry. TPS manufacturing is one of the most technically specialized disciplines in aerospace, requiring deep expertise in ablative material processing, bonding, tiling, and surface preparation.
What they're looking for
- B.S. in Materials Science, Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical, or Manufacturing Engineering, or a related discipline, with consideration given to equivalent professional experience (typically 3–6+ years)
- 3+ years of manufacturing experience with thermal protection systems, composite materials, or advanced material bonding in aerospace or defense
- Hands-on experience with ablative or reusable TPS materials: PICA, AVCOAT, SLA-561, cork composites, ceramic tiles, or equivalent
- Experience with adhesive bonding processes, surface preparation methods, and cure cycle control for structural or TPS bonds
- Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and TPS assembly models, familiarity with GD&T as applied to complex surface geometries
- Experience writing and maintaining manufacturing process documentation for specialized materials operations
More about this role
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 by Varda in-house, including the pharmaceutical processing payloads, the capsules, the C-PICA heat shields, and the satellite buses.
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...
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