Pharma Applications Engineer
Varda Space Industries
About Varda
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.
Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.
About Varda
The environment of space holds the potential to craft products that profoundly enhance life on Earth. Varda is at the forefront of this endeavor, harnessing the unique surroundings of low earth orbit to produce these innovations and bring them back to our planet. At Varda, we're expanding the economic horizons of humanity.
Our team has a rich legacy in aerospace and technology. Your contributions will be both cherished and critiqued by leaders who, with a wealth of experience behind them, are now devoted to the realm of extraterrestrial manufacturing. Space is open for business.
About This Role
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.
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.
Basic Qualifications
- 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.
Preferred Skills and Qualifications
- 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.
Compensation
- Pharma Applications Engineer: $125,000-$155,000.
- Leveling and base salary are determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance
- You will be eligible for long-term incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards
- Offer compensation also includes the ability to purchase company stock through the Employee Stock Purchase Plan
ITAR Requirements
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Varda, 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. At present, some of our technology to which employees have access requires a license to be exported to individuals other than “U.S. Persons” as defined in U.S. export regulations. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our current policy is to only hire “U.S. persons” who are permitted to have access to our technology without an export license.
“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 in the U.S.)
Learn more about the ITAR here.
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)
Varda 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.
E-Verify Statement
Varda 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.
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