Pharma Applications Engineer

Varda Space Industries • El Segundo, CA

11d • $125,000 - $155,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Varda is seeking a Pharma Applications Engineer to join our team. In this role, you will be responsible for leading efforts to develop, deploy, improve, and manage all Pharma applications. You will manage the implementation of these solutions through the entire product life cycle, from opportunity identification to support and sustainment. You will work cross-functionally with teams across Varda to lead initiatives to enhance company processes, execution insight, and infrastructure robustness. Projects will include a wide range of desired outcomes, including cycle time reduction, cost reduction, improved decision making, risk reduction, and any other key operational efficiency. Your contributions will immediately impact functional operations and have an opportunity to contribute to Varda's overall growth and success. This role will report to the Director of Enterprise Applications. This is a full-time, exempt position located in our El Segundo headquarters.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Analytics, Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 3+ years of experience supporting or managing enterprise applications (ERP, CRM, QMS, or LIMS) in a regulated or compliance-driven environment.
• The capability to gather business requirements from stakeholders and take a project from initial concept to finished product.
• Ability to work with end users to rapidly iterate prototype applications by solving end-user issues.
• Hands-on experience with business process mapping and re-engineering using structured methodologies.
• Ability to work independently as the sole technical resource within a business unit, managing competing priorities without day-to-day technical oversight.
• Ability to translate technical concepts to non-technical audiences for stakeholders, internal and external to the organization.
• Proficiency in SQL and at least one scripting/programming language (Python, JavaScript, or similar).
• Demonstrated experience building reports and dashboards in a BI platform (Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent).
• Familiarity with regulated industry data domains and willingness to develop deep expertise in pharmaceutical data standards and workflows.
• Familiarity with data integration patterns (ETL/ELT) and tools such as Alteryx, dbt, SSIS, or Informatica.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to produce system design documentation, SOPs, and training materials for non-technical pharma stakeholders.
• Familiarity with AI/ML concepts and hands-on experience using LLM-based tools in a professional setting.
• Familiarity with version control systems (Git) and software development lifecycle fundamentals, including code review and CI/CD practices.

Nice To Haves

• Graduate degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related fields.
• Experience with GxP-validated systems and FDA 21 CFR Part 11 compliance documentation.
• Proficiency with low-code/no-code platforms (Alteryx, Power Apps, or similar) for rapid application development.
• Experience with cloud data platforms (Snowflake, Databricks, AWS Redshift) and modern ELT architectures.
• Experience with Microsoft products (Teams, Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket) and their APIs
• Proven track record of architecting and sustaining AI-powered solutions that drove measurable adoption across large user populations.
• Salesforce administration or development experience (Flows or Lightning).
• Experience with aerospace and defense enterprise systems, manufacturing workflows, or supply chain operations, enabling cross-functional impact beyond the pharmaceutical business unit.
• Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), Project Management Professional (PMP), or Lean Six Sigma certification.
• Track record of building workflow automation or custom tooling that eliminated manual processes, with quantifiable outcomes such as hours saved, error reduction, or user adoption metrics in a regulated environment.
• Familiarity with pharmaceutical industry operations, including regulatory submissions, commercial data flows, or drug lifecycle management.
• Experience conducting or contributing to platform trade studies or build-vs-buy evaluations for data infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the embedded technology partner for a pharmaceutical business unit, translating operational needs into system configurations, custom workflows, and application solutions.
• Administer and optimize enterprise platforms (ERP, CRM, LIMS, QMS) across the pharma team’s daily operations, ensuring data integrity and regulatory alignment.
• Design and build custom analytics dashboards and reports using tools like Power BI, SQL, and Python to surface actionable insights for commercial, clinical, and manufacturing stakeholders.
• Map, document, and re-engineer business processes to eliminate manual bottlenecks, reduce cycle times, and improve data capture at the source.
• Develop and maintain internal applications (low-code/no-code and custom-built) that automate repetitive tasks and augment decision-making across the pharma workflow.
• Gather requirements directly from end users, run iterative feedback cycles, and deliver solutions that balance speed-to-value with long-term maintainability.
• Build and maintain ETL/ELT pipelines that integrate disparate pharma data sources into a unified analytical layer.
• Support validation and compliance documentation (GxP, FDA 21 CFR Part 11) for systems and processes within the pharmaceutical environment.
• Triage and resolve application issues, coordinate with vendors on escalations, and manage release cycles for system updates and patches.
• Create training materials and lead hands-on enablement sessions to drive user adoption and reduce shadow IT across the pharma organization.
• Evaluate, pilot, and deploy AI-powered tools to enterprise standards.
• Own data governance and quality standards for the pharma business unit, defining data owners, enforcing naming conventions, and monitoring data lineage across systems.
• Assist IT and Infosec with permissions-based access, tracking, and compliance.
• Evaluate new tools, platforms, and vendors to support make/buy decisions and ensure pharma systems integrate cleanly into the broader enterprise architecture.
• Track and report on system health, adoption KPIs, and project status to pharma leadership and enterprise stakeholders.

Benefits

• Exciting team of professionals at the top of their field working by your side
• Equity in a fully funded space startup with potential for significant growth (interns excluded)
• 401(k) matching (interns excluded)
• Unlimited PTO (interns excluded)
• Health insurance, including Vision and Dental
• Lunch and snacks provided on site every day.
• Dinners provided twice a week.
• Maternity / Paternity leave (interns excluded)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees