Full-Time
Analytical Scientist
Updated on 3/7/2025
Varda Space
51-200 employees
Manufactures products in microgravity environment
Compensation Overview
$100k - $160kAnnually
Senior
No H1B Sponsorship
El Segundo, CA, USA
This role is on-site in El Segundo, CA.
US Citizenship Required
- M.S., or Ph. D, degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science or related fields
- Relevant industry experience
- Develop and validate analytical methods for characterizing drug substances and drug products
- Carry out hands-on experiments in the lab and work with external testing sites
- Collaborate closely with product development, pharmaceutical science, and broader engineering groups to drive drug development activities
- Ph. D in Analytical Chemistry or Organic Chemistry with 5+ years of relevant industry experience
- Experience with UV, NMR, FTIR, Raman, Particle Size
- Experience with chromatographic and affinity-based methods (HPLC/UPLC, LC-MS, SECMALS, GC, SDS-PAGE)
- Track record of method development as demonstrated by publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at scientific conferences
- Experience as the responsible engineer or technical owner of projects across project lifecycle
Varda Space Industries focuses on making low Earth orbit (LEO) accessible for various industries by manufacturing products in the unique microgravity environment of space. The company develops specialized reentry capsules to safely return these products to Earth. Varda is building the necessary infrastructure, including in-orbit production equipment and cost-effective reentry systems, to support these activities. Their clients include companies in telecommunications and pharmaceuticals, which can benefit from the advantages of microgravity for manufacturing. Unlike many competitors, Varda's business model is centered on providing the infrastructure and services for in-space manufacturing, allowing them to charge clients for the use of their facilities and the return of products. The goal of Varda Space is to industrialize low Earth orbit, enabling the production of advanced materials and life-saving drugs that can only be created in space.
Company Size
51-200
Company Stage
Seed
Total Funding
$166.8M
Headquarters
El Segundo, California
Founded
2020
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Varda raised $90M to advance in-space pharmaceutical manufacturing infrastructure.
- Partnerships like Southern Launch enhance Varda's reentry capabilities and market reach.
- Reusable rocket technology reduces launch costs, benefiting Varda's operational expenses.
What critics are saying
- Emerging competition from In Orbit Aerospace challenges Varda's space logistics position.
- Mars Society's incubator may lead to technological advancements outpacing Varda.
- Focus on hypersonic reentry tests may divert resources from core manufacturing goals.
What makes Varda Space unique
- Varda focuses on microgravity manufacturing, unlike traditional Earth-based production methods.
- The company specializes in reentry capsules for safe return of space-manufactured products.
- Varda's infrastructure supports diverse industries, from pharmaceuticals to fiber optics.
Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?
Benefits
Exciting team of professionals at the top of their field to working by your side
Working in El Segundo, CA - an awesome Southern California beach city with quick access to entertainment and outdoor activities
Equity in a fully funded space startup that is about to go through massive growth
Company parties and generally a fun atmosphere
401(k)
Unlimited PTO
Health insurance
Lunch and snacks provided on site. Dinners twice a week for those working late.
Parental leave
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↓ -4%1 year growth
↓ -1%2 year growth
↑ 4%Varda Space Industries launches W-2 capsule with AFRL payloads for hypersonic reentry tests.
The abstract received an AAPS Best Abstract Award, given to the top 10% of abstracts submitted
NASA engineer Christine Gregg inspects an experimental construction robot. (NASA Photo / Dominic Hart)The Mars Society says it’s making progress on launching a startup incubator in the Seattle area, with artificial intelligence and biotech as its first targets. Its long-term goal? To make a profit, yes, but also to support the development of technologies needed to sustain settlements on the Red Planet.“A successful Mars colony will need to be highly innovative, and it will have the chance to be highly innovative — and because of those facts, it will make inventions that will meet its own needs but also be licensable on Earth,” Mars Society President Robert Zubrin said last week at the nonprofit group’s annual conference at the University of Washington. “Those inventions — as it were, IP as exports from Mars — will be one of the main economic supports of the Mars city-state,” Zubrin said. “So, people sometimes ask me, ‘Well, if you think that a Mars inventors colony could actually be profitable, why not create it here on Earth first?'”That’s the idea behind the Mars Technology Institute. James Burk, the Mars Society’s Seattle-based executive director, said the institute would be modeled on the tech industry’s Y Combinator, a California-based startup accelerator that provides seed money and guidance for promising ventures in return for a share of their equity.Burk said he’s been talking government officials and representatives of other organizations in the Seattle area — including Bellevue College — about setting up a home base for the institute
Varda Space Industries has raised $90 million in a series B funding led by Caffeinated Capital and will use the capital to build its infrastructure that supports pharmaceutical manufacturing in space.
Varda space raises $90M to build manufacturing factories in space.