# Thermal Protection System (TPS) Manufacturing Engineer at Varda

- Company: Varda
- What the company does: Expanding the economic bounds of humankind with the world's first orbital manufacturing & reentry platform. Backed by General Catalyst, Khosla and Founders Fund.
- Company website: https://varda.com/
- Type: Startups
- Level: Mid level
- Location: El Segundo, California, United States
- Work setup: On-site
- Pay: $120K to $153K base salary per year (USD)
- Posted: 2026-09-09
- Apply by: 2026-10-24
- Apply: https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/vardaspace/jobs/7989663003
- Page: https://www.1752.vc/careers/jobs/varda-thermal-protection-system-tps-manufacturing-engineer/

## 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

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