{"id":2079202,"url":"https://alion.io/job/spacenexus-senior-propulsion-engineer-ground-fluids","title":"Senior Propulsion Engineer - Ground Fluids","company":{"id":2086894,"name":"SpaceNexus","domain":"spacenexus.us","url":"https://alion.io/company/spacenexus","size_band":"1-10","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Schema","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":100,"open_postings":4,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":13,"computed_at":"2026-10-19T05:45:15Z"}},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":"senior","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"explicit","locations":["El Segundo, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":140333,"max":179314,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":179314},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":6,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-08T02:42:14Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-08","last_verified_at":"2026-10-19T17:16:14Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":11,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":11},"description":"About Varda\nLow 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. Varda’s W-Series vehicles are built, designed, and operated by Varda in-house, including the pharmaceutical processing payloads, the capsules, the C-PICA heat shields, and the satellite buses.\nFrom 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.\nOur 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.\nVarda 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.\nJoin Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.\nAbout This Role\nAs the Senior Propulsion Engineer - Ground Fluids, you will to serve as the technical authority for our ground fluid systems, the backbone of every mission we fly. You'll be setting the strategy, writing the standards and building the infrastructure that gets Varda spacecraft off the ground and into orbit.\nYou'll own the full lifecycle of ground fluid systems, from architecture and design through build, test and live flight operations. You'll lead propellant loading campaigns across multiple sites, define our operational approach as we scale and serve as the technical subject matter expert for the broader propulsion team.\nResponsibilities\nOwn it end-to-end: architecture, schematics, mechanical design, build, and operations for ground fluid systems across Varda's spacecraft programs - including satellite bus GSE, thruster development test stands, and component acceptance test hardware\nLead propellant loading campaigns across multiple Varda sites, setting the standard for safety, efficiency, and reliability\nDefine Varda's propellant handling processes from the ground up, ensuring every commodity meets flight specifications\nDrive the ground fluids roadmap: identify capability gaps, prioritize investments, and help shape the team as we grow\nSet the standard: author and maintain technical standards, work instructions, and engineering documentation that the whole propulsion organization builds on\nGrow the next generation: mentor and develop junior and mid-level engineers; serve as the technical reviewer they rely on\nRepresent ground fluids in cross-functional design reviews, launch site coordination, and partner discussions\nServe as the final escalation point when problems get complex and drive them to resolution\nBasic Qualifications\nB.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline; equivalent professional experience considered (typically 3-6+ years)\n3+ years of hands-on experience in propulsion fluid system definition, design, build, and test for spacecraft or launch vehicles\nDeep working knowledge of fluid system hardware: pressurized components, tubing, fittings, seals, valves, and instrumentation\nDemonstrated experience authoring and executing operational procedures for ground test or flight campaigns\nProficiency in reading and authoring Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs)\nHands-on experience with fluid system manufacturing processes and installation methods\nFamiliarity with 91-710 or equivalent range safety requirements\nProven record of technical ownership, driving problems to resolution across organizational boundaries\nProficiency with CAD tools and PLM software\nPreferred Skills and Experience\n6+ years of propulsion fluid systems experience on spacecraft or launch vehicles\nExperience with hypergolic, cryogenic, or other spacecraft-grade propellants\nTest or launch site operations experience, including coordination with range safety and launch site personnel\nPrior experience leading a technical team or sub-discipline, formally or informally\nTrack record of developing and enforcing engineering standards or design guidelines within a propulsion organization\nExceptional technical communication skills, precision and clarity in work instructions, engineering specifications, assembly procedures, and engineering memos\nPay Range\nSalary Range: Senior: $140,333 - $179,314/per year\nThis role is on-site in El Segundo, CA\nLeveling and base salary is determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance\nYou will be eligible for incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards\nBenefits\nConsider your benefits covered for launch. At Varda, we invest in benefits and perks that support your health, financial well-being, and life beyond work. Benefits vary by position, with packages designed specifically for our regular full-time employees and interns.\nRegular Full-Time Positions:\nHealth & Wellness\nFlexible PTO policy + 12 paid holidays\n100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options\nVoluntary accident, hospital, critical illness, and pet insurance\n$120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses\n12 weeks of parental leave (with supplemental disability leave for CA mothers)\nFamily building, pregnancy, parenting and menopause benefits via Maven Clinic\nSponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents\nFinancial & Retirement\nSubstantial incentive equity in a fully funded space start-up\n401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match (immediately vested)\n$20/pay period cell phone reimbursement\nRelocation support for new hires, if needed\nWorkplace Experience & Perks\nFully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly\nCompany and team-bonding events, happy hours and mission-success celebrations\nComplimentary EV charging\nIntern Positions:\nHealth & Wellness\nPaid observed holidays\n100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options\n$120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses\nSponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents\nFinancial\n$20/pay period cell phone reimbursement\nUp to $4,000 gross up in relocation support, if eligible\nUp to $850 commute credit through Lyft or car rental reimbursement, if eligible\nWorkplace Experience & Perks\nFully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly\nCompany and team-bonding events, happy hours and mission-success celebrations\nComplimentary EV charging\nITAR Requirements\nVarda, like all employers, must ensure that its employees working in the United States are lawfully authorized to work in the U.S. Additionally, our employees are exposed to and have access to certain export-controlled items. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our policy is to only hire “U.S. persons” who are permitted to have access to our technology without an export license.\n“US person” means: U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) (i.e., individual admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum).\nE-Verify Statement\nVarda Space Industries, Inc. participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E-Verify program. The E-Verify program is an Internet-based employment eligibility verification system operated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Learn more about the E-Verify program.\nE-Verify Notice Right To Work Notice\nRead more Read more\nVarda Space Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates and employees are always evaluated based on merit, qualifications, and performance. We will never discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, martial status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.","description_format":"text","description_chars":8642,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":6,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity","Parental leave","Retirement plans","Stock options","Vision insurance"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":true,"industries":["Space & Aerospace"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-08T09:30:49Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":51,"band":"ok","label":"Likely open","p_open":1,"p_active":0.679,"p_room":0.75,"age_days":11,"expected_fill_days":13,"reasons":["conf:4","velocity","win:late","comp:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-10-19T05:45:15Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":179314,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/spacenexus-senior-propulsion-engineer-ground-fluids","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/spacenexus-senior-propulsion-engineer-ground-fluids.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-19T19:09:42Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":15198,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-20T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":2086894},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=2086894"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fspacenexus-senior-propulsion-engineer-ground-fluids"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fspacenexus-senior-propulsion-engineer-ground-fluids"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fspacenexus-senior-propulsion-engineer-ground-fluids"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/spacenexus-senior-propulsion-engineer-ground-fluids\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fspacenexus-senior-propulsion-engineer-ground-fluids"}]}