Ground Support Design Engineer II – Spaceflight Test Systems

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

Benefits offered by this job

Health & Wellness

Relocation support

Equity incentives

One Medical memberships

Job summary

Varda Space Industries in El Segundo, CA, seeks a Ground Support Equipment, Design Engineer II to architect and build test infrastructure for spaceflight hardware qualification. You will design, build, and own GSE and test systems, including propulsion test stands, environmental chambers, and integration testing, using a modern PLC framework and Beckhoff EtherCAT tooling.

You will collaborate with propulsion, avionics, GNC and manufacturing teams, influence architecture decisions, and help

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical field.
• 2+ years of industry experience in test automation, controls, and/or industrial automation.
• Hands‑on experience integrating with industrial hardware over EtherCAT, Modbus, RS-232/485.
• Experience with Beckhoff TwinCAT 3/IEC 61131-3 or eagerness to develop deep expertise.
• Comfort across full stack: electrical design, wiring, debugging, and control software.
• Thrives in a fast-paced startup environment with end-to-end ownership.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain test systems and GSE for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing operations.
• Integrate with external hardware including thermal vacuum chambers, ovens, chillers, and data acquisition hardware.
• Develop and extend internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling to support evolving program needs.
• Contribute to architecture decisions on real-time control, evaluating PLC-based vs Linux-based approaches.
• Build cabinets, wire panels, and own systems end‑to‑end from electrical design through commissioning.
• Partner with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to meet aggressive timelines.
• Champion sustainable engineering practices and mentor new engineers.

Skills

2+ years of industry experience

EtherCAT

Beckhoff TwinCAT 3

PLC programming

Electrical panels

Hard real‑time control

GSE development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Beckhoff TwinCAT 3

EtherCAT tooling

Job description

Varda Space Industries in El Segundo, CA, seeks a Ground Support Equipment, Design Engineer II to architect and build test infrastructure for spaceflight hardware qualification. You will design, build, and own GSE and test systems, including propulsion test stands, environmental chambers, and integration testing, using a modern PLC framework and Beckhoff EtherCAT tooling.

You will collaborate with propulsion, avionics, GNC and manufacturing teams, influence architecture decisions, and help