Senior Aerodynamics and Flight Mechanics 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. 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 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.

About this Role

Varda is seeking an Senior Aerodynamics and Flight Mechanics Engineer to support operation of Varda's current vehicles and the development of Varda's next reentry vehicle – from rarefied entry, to hypersonic maneuvering, and subsonic terminal approach. The candidate must have experience running high speed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and supporting wind tunnel campaigns. Exposure to 6DOF flight dynamics modeling, and experience developing flight rules is strongly preferred. The ideal candidate should have been involved in the aerodynamic development of a currently flying vehicle from cradle to grave.

Responsibilities

Own the aerodynamic and aeroheating database development across the full flight envelope, from free-molecular rarefied entry through hypersonic maneuvering to subsonic terminal approach, serving as the authoritative aeroscience input to GNC, TPS sizing, and mission analysis

• Plan, execute, and reduce data from wind tunnel campaigns; reconcile ground test results with CFD predictions and update vehicle databases with traceable, well-documented revisions

• Run high-fidelity CFD and DSMC simulations of hypersonic and subsonic flows using tools such as Fun3D, LAURA, DPLR, US3D, SPARTA, DAC, and CBAero; build structured and unstructured meshes in Pointwise

• Characterize static and dynamic stability, develop 6DOF simulation inputs, and contribute to flight rules and vehicle-level performance models

• Synthesize aerodynamic evidence from CFD, wind tunnel, and flight telemetry into a coherent, traceable database that supports GNC, TPS sizing, and mission analysis

• Lead post-flight aerodynamic reconstruction and performance assessments; identify where preflight predictions diverged from reality and drive model updates that make the next mission sharper

• Collaborate across disciplines: GNC, structures, TPS, and mission planning, to deliver flight-ready aeroscience products and serve as the aerodynamics voice in every cross-discipline design discussion

Basic Qualifications

• BS degree in engineering or physics and 6+ years of relevant industry experience, or a relevant PhD and 3+ years of relevant industry experience

• Meaningful contribution to the aerodynamic development of a hypersonic vehicle that has flown, or is on track to fly within the next 5 years

• Experience analyzing aerodynamic data from test, CFD, flight, and other sources and documenting findings rigorously

• 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

• Proficiency in MATLAB or Python

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a demonstrated ability to translate complex aeroscience findings for cross-disciplinary audiences

• This position requires ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance, which is issued by the U.S. government. U.S citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Advanced degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering, specializing in aerodynamics or fluid mechanics

• Hands-on wind tunnel campaign experience, including test planning, execution, and data reduction

• Direct ownership of aerodynamic and aeroheating databases for a flying vehicle

• Familiarity with modeling vehicle dynamics in POST2 or similar 6DOF tools

• Experience sizing ablative or non-ablative TPS

• Experience with flight reconstruction and post-flight performance evaluations

• Technical breadth in adjacent disciplines (GNC, avionics, software, structures)

Pay Range

• Salary Range: Senior: $140,333- $179,314/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 incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards

Benefits

Varda offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support health, financial well‑being, and a high‑quality workplace experience. Below is an overview of what full‑time employees receive (at this time, interns receive a subset of benefits):

Health & Wellness

• Flexible PTO policy + 12 paid holidays

• 100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options

• Voluntary accident, hospital, critical illness, and pet insurance

• $120/

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