Automation-Driven Mechanical Design & Test Engineer II

Varda; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 153,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible PTO

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Relocation support

Stock options / equity

401(k) with match

Wellness reimbursement

Job summary

Varda is hiring a Mechanical Design & Test Engineer II, Automation in El Segundo, CA to build bespoke test infrastructure that qualifies spaceflight hardware for orbit. You will design, build, and own ground support equipment and test systems including propulsion test stands and environmental chambers for integration testing.

The role involves a modern stack with PLCs and Beckhoff EtherCAT, collaborating with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to deliver robust test platforms

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 3+ years in mechanical design or industrial automation.
• Experience with SolidWorks, NX CAD or similar.
• Experience with electrical wiring for cabinets and PLCs.
• Experience with Altium or EPLAN, migrating to newer tools.
• Hands-on with high-pressure gas or fluid systems.
• Environmental test experience including TVAC, thermal cycling, vibration.
• Experience developing propulsion test stands or complex test infra.
• Hands-on with EtherCAT, Modbus/RS-232 series or similar.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain test systems and GSE for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing, including data acquisition and thermal control.
• Test infrastructure uptime targets (>99%) and reliable performance.
• Be the Responsible Engineer for test infrastructure including centrifuges, TVACs, prop test stands, and gas benches.
• Build cabinets, wire panels, and own end-to-end electrical systems from design through commissioning.
• Partner with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing to meet aggressive timelines.
• Read, deploy, and minor-edit the PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling as needs evolve.
• Champion sustainable engineering practices to accelerate new engineer ramp and ensure reliability.

Skills

Solidworks

NX CAD

Electrical wiring

PLC programming

EtherCAT

Gas & fluids

Environmental testing

Propulsion test stands

Instrumentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Altium

EPLAN

Beckhoff TwinCAT 3

Pelican DAQ

Job description

Varda is hiring a Mechanical Design & Test Engineer II, Automation in El Segundo, CA to build bespoke test infrastructure that qualifies spaceflight hardware for orbit. You will design, build, and own ground support equipment and test systems including propulsion test stands and environmental chambers for integration testing.

The role involves a modern stack with PLCs and Beckhoff EtherCAT, collaborating with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to deliver robust test platforms