Materials and Process Engineer II

Varda Space•El Segundo, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

As a Materials and Process Engineer II at Varda, you will apply materials science fundamentals to special processes used to protect and build reentry vehicles. The role supports development, qualification, and control of flight-hardware processes involving ablative and thermal protection systems (TPS), coatings, polymers, composites, adhesives, wet chemical processing, and metallic structures. You will design experiments and pathfinder hardware, characterize materials through mechanical, thermal, chemical, and microstructural testing, and use statistics to define robust process windows. You will also contribute to root cause and corrective action (RCCA), material review board (MRB), and failure investigations, working with design engineers, technicians, and quality to resolve material and process non-conformances. The role focuses on making understood materials and processes repeatable and documented for each vehicle Varda produces. This is an on-site role in El Segundo, California.

Requirements

B.S. in Materials Science, Mechanical, Chemical, or Aerospace Engineering, or a similar field, or demonstrated equivalent experience and expertise.
At least 1 year of materials, process, or manufacturing engineering experience in aerospace or another high-reliability industry.
Expertise in materials science, including metals, polymers, ceramics, composites, their failure modes, corrosion mechanisms, and basic chemistry such as acid-base reactions, pH, and material compatibility with process chemicals.
Hands-on experience with at least one relevant process or lab method, such as composite layup and cure, bonding, coating application, ablative or TPS fabrication, wet chemical processing, welding, machining, mechanical testing, or metallography.
Expertise in basic statistics, including descriptive statistics, distributions, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, and regression.
Ability to read engineering drawings, material specifications, and test reports, and use first-principles problem solving to diagnose process defects and drive corrective action.
Experience working safely with process chemicals, including acids, bases, and solvents, using proper PPE and handling procedures.
Ability to regularly lift 25 lbs., bend, stoop, and stand for extended periods while working directly with flight hardware.

Nice To Haves

M.S. or Ph.D. in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline.
Experience with ablative or high-temperature materials, such as phenolic-impregnated carbon ablator, carbon-carbon, ceramic matrix composites, or silicone- or epoxy-based ablatives.
Experience with polymer and composite processing, including prepreg layup, autoclave and out-of-autoclave cure, resin infusion, potting, bonding, and cure kinetics.
Experience with coatings and surface treatments, including thermal barrier coatings, anodization, conversion coatings, passivation, paints, and primers, as well as surface preparation and adhesion testing.
Experience with corrosion testing and evaluation, including salt spray, galvanic compatibility, crevice and stress corrosion, and electrochemical methods.
Experience with wet chemical processing, including bath chemistry monitoring and control, high-purity deionized or reverse-osmosis water systems, and precision cleaning with cleanliness verification such as NVR, particulate, and water-break testing.
Experience with aerospace metals such as stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, and nickel alloys, and their processing, including heat treatment, welding, brazing, and finishing.
Experience with SPC, measurement system analysis (gage R&R), process capability (Cp/Cpk), and DOE, using statistical software such as JMP, Minitab, Python, or similar.
Experience with thermal and chemical analysis (DSC, TGA, DMA, FTIR), mechanical testing (tensile, flexure, shear, peel, hardness), and NDE (ultrasonic, dye penetrant, X-ray, thermography), including interpretation of results.
Experience writing material and process specifications, test reports, and engineering memos.
Experience supporting process qualification, first article builds, and RCCAs.
Familiarity with space-environment materials and processes requirements, including outgassing, contamination control, electrical bonding and grounding, and relevant standards such as AWS, ASTM, AMS, and MMPDS.

Responsibilities

Develop, qualify, and maintain special processes for flight hardware, including ablative and thermal protection systems (TPS), coatings, polymers, composites, adhesives, and processes applicable to metallic structures.
Develop and control wet chemical processes, such as cleaning, etching, passivation, and conversion coating; implement corrosion prevention and control practices; and assess chemical compatibility among materials, process fluids, and service environments.
Design experiments, methodologies, and pathfinder hardware to de-risk processes; characterize materials and processes through mechanical, thermal, chemical, and microstructural testing; and use statistical methods to define process windows.
Define tooling, fixture, test equipment, cleanliness, contamination control, and material handling requirements for assigned processes and flight hardware.
Develop and maintain Special Process Specifications, Process Qualification and Validation Records, and Control Plans.
Lead and contribute to RCCAs, MRB, and failure review boards for material and process non-conformances, including corrosion, surface contamination, and defects identified in NDE, testing, or inspection.
Conduct or support failure analysis, including fractography, metallography, SEM/EDS, and chemical analysis, in-house or through partner laboratories.