Senior Automation & Controls Engineer - Space Test Systems

Varda Space Industries; El Segundo (CA); In loco; USD 140.000 - 179.000; Tempo pieno

Descrizione del lavoro

Varda Space Industries is seeking a Senior Automation & Controls Engineer to design, build, and own test infrastructure for spaceflight hardware qualification. You will develop and maintain ground support equipment and a modern PLC framework (Beckhoff TwinCAT 3) while collaborating with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to meet aggressive timelines.

The role includes hands-on wiring, electrical panel design, and end-to-end responsibility on production systems in a fast-paced

Competenze

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical field.
• 5+ years of industry experience in test automation, controls, and/or industrial automation.
• Hands-on experience integrating with industrial hardware over protocols such as EtherCAT, Modbus (TCP/RTU), RS-232/485 serial, or similar communication standards.
• Experience with at least one modern PLC ecosystem - ideally Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 with structured text (IEC 61131-3), or a demonstrated eagerness to develop deep expertise there.
• Comfort working across the full stack: designing electrical panels, wiring cabinets, debugging hardware, and writing control software.
• Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced startup environment where priorities shift, and end-to-end ownership of problems is expected.

Mansioni

• Design, build, and maintain test systems and ground support equipment (GSE) for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing operations.
• Integrate with a wide range of external hardware, including thermal vacuum chambers, ovens, chillers, pressure systems, data acquisition hardware, and precision instrumentation.
• Develop and extend Varda's internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling to support evolving program needs.
• Contribute to architecture decisions on real-time control implementation, including evaluation of PLC-based (TwinCAT 3) versus Linux-based approaches for high-frequency control applications.
• Build cabinets, wire panels, and own systems end-to-end from electrical design through commissioning.
• Partner with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to deliver test infrastructure that meets their needs on aggressive timelines.
• Champion sustainable engineering practices that enable new engineers to ramp quickly on the tech stack and maintain production systems reliably.

Conoscenze

Hands-on hardware integration

Real-time control

End-to-end ownership

Formazione

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Strumenti

EtherCAT

Modbus (TCP/RTU)

RS-232/485

Beckhoff TwinCAT 3

IEC 61131-3

Descrizione del lavoro

Varda Space Industries is seeking a Senior Automation & Controls Engineer to design, build, and own test infrastructure for spaceflight hardware qualification. You will develop and maintain ground support equipment and a modern PLC framework (Beckhoff TwinCAT 3) while collaborating with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to meet aggressive timelines.

The role includes hands-on wiring, electrical panel design, and end-to-end responsibility on production systems in a fast-paced