Propulsion Engineering Internship - Summer 2027

The role

You will own or contribute to hardware or software design for spacecraft or payloads. You will also create or support test campaigns and perform necessary analysis.

What you will do

• Own or contribute to hardware or software design to support development of Spacecraft or payload
• Create or support test campaigns and build test stands
• Perform necessary analysis to support development and testing

Required qualifications

• Must have completed some Engineering coursework relevant to Propulsion, including but not limited to: Fluid Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer, Compressible Flow, or Combustion
• Pursuing a bachelor's or master’s degree from an accredited college or university in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineer, or Electrical Engineering (or similar engineering deg
• Familiarity with engineering design software and principles (NX/Teamcenter, GD&T, Matlab/Python, and analysis packages)
• Strong fundamentals in fluids engineering
• Prior hands-on experience building or testing fluid systems
• Familiarity with safe operation of combustion devices, rocket propellants, and pressurized systems
• Familiarity or exposure to high precision manufacturing environments
• Must be a U.S. person (U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual)

Nice to have

• Previous internship or co-op experience
• Previous experience on technical project teams (i.e., Rocket club, formula SAE, etc.)
• Completion of a Propulsion or Rocket Propulsion survey course

Benefits

• Housing stipend for interns relocating to the area
• Commuter benefit to support local transportation
• Paid observed holidays
• 100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options
• $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses
• Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents
• $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement
• Up to $4,000 gross up in relocation support, if eligible
• Up to $850 commute credit through Lyft or car rental reimbursement, if eligible
• Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly
• Company and team-bonding events, happy hours and mission-success celebrations
• Complimentary EV charging

Before you apply

• Candidates must be actively enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or graduate degree program
• Must be a U.S. person (U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual)

About the company

Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules. The company is headquartered in El Segundo, California.