GSE Design Engineer II: Spaceflight Test Systems

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision insurance

Relocation assistance

Equity incentives

401(k) retirement plan

Cell phone reimbursement

Paid time off and holidays

Job summary

Varda in El Segundo, CA is seeking a Design Engineer II for Ground Support Equipment (GSE) used to qualify spaceflight hardware for orbit. You will design, build, and own sophisticated test systems and GSE, including propulsion test stands, environmental chambers, and integration testing facilities.

You will evaluate real-time control approaches, extend our PLC framework, and work with cross-functional teams to meet aggressive timelines while upholding safety and reliability in a fast-paced

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical field.
• 2+ years of experience in test automation, controls, or industrial automation.
• Hands-on experience with industrial hardware interfaces (EtherCAT, Modbus, RS-232/485).
• Experience with PLC ecosystems, preferably Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 with IEC 61131-3.
• Ability to design electrical panels, wire cabinets, and write control software.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain test systems and ground support equipment for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing operations.
• Integrate with external hardware such as thermal vacuum chambers, ovens, and data acquisition systems.
• Develop and extend PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling to meet evolving needs.
• Contribute to architecture decisions on real-time control implementations (TwinCAT 3 vs Linux).
• Build cabinets, wire panels, and own end-to-end systems from electrical design to commissioning.
• Collaborate with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to meet aggressive timelines.
• Champion sustainable engineering practices to enable ramp-up of new engineers.

Skills

EtherCAT

TwinCAT 3

PLC programming

Electrical panels

Hardware debugging

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Beckhoff TwinCAT 3

EtherCAT tooling

Job description

Varda in El Segundo, CA is seeking a Design Engineer II for Ground Support Equipment (GSE) used to qualify spaceflight hardware for orbit. You will design, build, and own sophisticated test systems and GSE, including propulsion test stands, environmental chambers, and integration testing facilities.

You will evaluate real-time control approaches, extend our PLC framework, and work with cross-functional teams to meet aggressive timelines while upholding safety and reliability in a fast-paced