Manufacturing Engineer II (Propulsion)

Varda Space•El Segundo, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Varda is hiring a Manufacturing Engineer II to support propulsion system production as the company scales from a few bespoke vehicles to many consistent, concurrent builds. The role owns manufacturing processes for high-pressure fluid systems and propulsion hardware, from tube shop operations through acceptance testing. It supports valve assembly, tube fabrication, pressure vessel integration, and engine integration, working directly with design engineers and technicians across the processes required to manufacture Varda vehicles. The focus is on incremental improvement for every vehicle produced.

Requirements

B.S. in Mechanical, Manufacturing, or a related discipline, with consideration given to equivalent professional experience; typically 1–3+ years.
3+ years of manufacturing experience with propulsion systems, fluid systems, or high-pressure hardware in aerospace or a related industry.
Hands-on experience with tube fabrication, tube bending, tube fitting installation, and high-pressure fluid system assembly.
Familiarity with propulsion system cleanliness requirements, cleanliness verification methods, and contamination control procedures.
Experience reading and interpreting engineering drawings, P&IDs, and assembly models for fluid systems.
Strong first-principles problem-solving capability, including diagnosing propulsion build defects and driving corrective action to closure.
Ability to regularly lift 25 lbs., bend, stoop, and stand for extended periods while working directly with flight hardware.
Must be a U.S. person as defined in the job description, due to access to export-controlled items.

Nice To Haves

M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering specializing in Fluid Mechanics, Process Engineering, or a related discipline.
Experience manufacturing and assembling propulsion systems for launch vehicles, spacecraft, or hypersonic vehicles, including valve assembly and pressure vessel integration.
Experience with high-pressure fluid systems testing or qualification of assemblies, including energetics and explosives.
Experience with metals, composites, and plastics used in propulsion systems.
Experience with propulsion manufacturing methods, including welding, orbital welding, machining, and additive manufacturing.
Experience with nondestructive examination, including ultrasonic testing, dye penetrant, and X-ray.
Prior work transitioning propulsion assemblies from development to production environments with increasing build rates.
Familiarity with hazardous materials handling and safety protocols associated with propellant loading and propulsion acceptance testing.

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end manufacturing processes for propulsion system production, including valve assembly, tube fabrication, pressure vessel integration, and engine integration.
Develop and maintain work instructions, process traveler documents, and process specifications for high-pressure fluid systems and propulsion hardware.
Provide technical direction to improve propulsion build processes and increase vehicle production cadence.
Implement and enforce propulsion-specific cleanliness protocols, contamination control procedures, and propellant compatibility requirements.
Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for propulsion non-conformances, including leak events, contamination findings, and assembly defects.
Define tooling and test equipment requirements for tube shop operations, leak checks, and propulsion acceptance testing.
Collaborate with design engineers and supply chain to prevent schedule delays and resolve incoming hardware quality issues.
Refine propulsion work cell layouts and product flow to support increased cadence and concurrent vehicle builds.