Materials and Process Engineer II

Varda Space Industries•El Segundo, CA

1d•$119,543 - $172,673•Onsite

About The Position

As a Materials and Process Engineer II at Varda, you will apply materials science fundamentals to the special processes used to protect and build reentry vehicles. The role supports the development, qualification, and control of flight-hardware processes, including 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 using 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 directly with design engineers, technicians, and quality, you will help resolve material and process non-conformances. The role focuses on turning well-understood materials and processes into repeatable, documented results for every vehicle Varda produces, helping the company build flight hardware consistently and at increasing cadence. Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California, where its offices and production facility are used to build, integrate, and test vehicles, equipment, and materials. This position is on-site in El Segundo, CA. The salary range is $119,543–$172,673 per year, with leveling and base salary determined by job-related skills, education, experience, and performance. The role is eligible for incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards. Applicants must be U.S. persons eligible to access export-controlled items.

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 laboratory 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.
Experience reading engineering drawings, material specifications, and test reports, with first-principles problem-solving skills to diagnose process defects and drive corrective action.
Experience working safely with process chemicals, including acids, bases, and solvents, using appropriate PPE and handling procedures.
Physical 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 eligible to access the employer's export-controlled items.

Nice To Haves

M.S. or Ph.D. in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline.
Experience with ablative or high-temperature materials, including 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, primers, 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 interpreting 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, including cleaning, etching, passivation, and conversion coating.
Implement corrosion prevention and control practices and assess chemical compatibility between 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 found in NDE, testing, or inspection.
Conduct or support failure analysis, including fractography, metallography, SEM/EDS, and chemical analysis, in-house or through partner labs.