Propulsion Manager

Varda Space Industries•El Segundo, CA

2d•$154,000 - $197,000•Onsite

About The Position

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. 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 (coming soon). Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem. About This Role You’ll lead the Bus Propulsion Systems team and own the propulsion system end to end. This role is equal parts technical leadership and people management. You’ll set the technical direction, make system-level decisions, unblock execution, and grow a team of Responsible Engineers as our vehicles and programs scale.

Requirements

Strong hands-on experience with propulsion or complex fluid systems.
Proven system-level ownership (not just components).
Experience leading engineers or acting as a technical lead.
Comfortable making decisions with incomplete data in a fast-moving environment.
Willing to dive deep when needed and zoom out when required.

Nice To Haves

Spacecraft or launch vehicle bus propulsion experience.
Direct ownership of P&IDs, system models, and CAD.
Build, test, or mission ops experience.
Experience scaling teams in a startup environment.

Responsibilities

Own the System
Own the top-level Bus Propulsion System: architecture, P&IDs, CAD, performance models, and interfaces.
Act as the system owner from early design through build, test, and mission operations.
Lead propulsion trade studies, design decisions, and future vehicle propulsion architecture.
Execute
Drive change definition and execution across the propulsion system.
Resolve propulsion-related build, integration, and test issues quickly and decisively.
Support mission operations, anomalies, and post-flight analysis as needed.
Balance performance, reliability, schedule, and cost in day-to-day decisions.
Lead the Team
Manage a growing team of Bus Propulsion REs (currently Cam, Summer, Jaylen, and Cory Adams; more to come).
Set priorities, technical expectations, and ownership boundaries.
Coach engineers, review work, and develop future technical leaders.
Help scale the team and processes without slowing execution.
Work Cross-Functionally
Partner closely with vehicle, systems, manufacturing, test, and operations teams.
Represent propulsion in design reviews, program reviews, and leadership discussions.
Communicate clearly when things are on track—and when they aren’t.

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)

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