Senior Ground Support Equipment Engineer - Python & Beckhoff

Vardaspace

El Segundo (CA)

On-site

USD 140,000 - 179,000

Full time

11 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Equity incentives

Relocation support

Health insurance

Job summary

Varda Space Industries is seeking an experienced Automation and Controls Engineer to design, build, and maintain sophisticated test systems and ground support equipment for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing. You will integrate with a wide range of external hardware and contribute to architecture decisions affecting real-time control implementations.

The role requires hands-on experience with EtherCAT, Modbus, Beckhoff TwinCAT 3, and IEC 61131-3, with a track record of end-to-end

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Computer/Mechanical Engineering or related field.
5+ years of experience in test automation, controls, and/or industrial automation.
Hands-on experience with EtherCAT, Modbus (TCP/RTU), RS-232/485 or similar protocols.
Experience with Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 and IEC 61131-3.
Ability to design, build, and debug test infrastructure end-to-end.

Responsibilities

Design, build, and maintain test systems and ground support equipment (GSE) for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing operations.
Integrate with external hardware including thermal/pressure systems, data acquisition, and instrumentation.
Develop and extend Varda's PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling to meet evolving needs.
Contribute to real-time control architecture decisions (TwinCAT 3 vs Linux-based approaches).
Build cabinets, wire panels, and own systems from electrical design through commissioning.
Collaborate with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to meet aggressive timelines.
Champion sustainable engineering practices to help new engineers ramp quickly and maintain systems.

Skills

Test automation

Controls engineering

Industrial automation

Real-time control

DAQ and data acquisition

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering

Tools

Beckhoff TwinCAT 3

EtherCAT

Modbus (TCP/RTU)

Industrial PLC programming

IEC 61131-3

Job description

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.Varda’s W-Series vehicles are built, designed, and operated by Varda in-house, including the pharmaceutical processing payloads, the capsules, the C-PICA heat shields, and the satellite buses.

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.

What you will do (Job Responsibilities)

Our Automation and Controls team builds bespoke test infrastructure that qualifies spaceflight hardware for orbit. You will design, build, and own sophisticated ground support equipment (GSE) and test systems: propulsion test stands, environmental qualification chambers, spacecraft-level integration testing and more! Our stack is modern, including a custom PLC framework and Beckhoff EtherCAT tooling built in-house. You will have a meaningful impact on architecture decisions, and the chance to define standards that will outlast any single program.

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.

What you will bring (Basic Qualifications)

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related 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: writing control software, designing electrical panels, wiring cabinets, and debugging hardware.
Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced startup environment where priorities shift, and end-to-end ownership of problems is expected.

What would be a plus (Preferred Qualifications)

Strong intuition for when to use real-time PLC code versus higher-level Python orchestration, and a clear understanding of the tradeoffs between the two.
Experience working with custom or in-house control frameworks, rather than relying solely on vendor-provided stacks.
Advanced EtherCAT expertise beyond consumer-level usage — including DC sync, ENI configuration, master implementation, or driver-level work.
Production experience with TwinCAT 3, structured text, and the broader IEC 61131-3 language suite.
Experience designing deterministic, hard real-time control loops with sub-millisecond cycle times.
Familiarity with time-series data acquisition and visualization tools such as Grafana, InfluxDB, or similar platforms.
Aerospace experience, particularly in spacecraft testing or GSE development.
Environmental test experience, including TVAC, thermal cycling, and vibration testing.
Hands-on experience working with high-pressure gas or fluid systems.
Experience developing propulsion test stands or other complex, multi-subsystem test infrastructure.
Familiarity with spacecraft qualification standards and associated documentation requirements.
Experience developing safety-related control systems and evaluating proposed solutions for reducing safety-related risks.

How Varda compensates

Salary range: $140,000 - $179,000 annually.
Eligible for incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards.
This role is on-site in El Segundo, CA.
Leveling and base salary is determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance.
Offer compensation also includes the ability to receive stock options under the Company's Equity Incentive Plan.

Benefits

Varda offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support health, financial well-being, and a high-quality workplace experience. Below is an overview of what full-time employees receive(at this time, interns receive a subset of benefits):

Health & Wellness

Flexible PTO policy +12 paid holidays
100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options
Voluntaryaccident, hospital, critical illness,andpet insurance
$120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses
12weeks ofparental leave(with supplemental disability leavefor CAmothers)
Family building, pregnancy,parentingand menopausebenefitsvia Maven Clinic
SponsoredOne Medicalmemberships for employees and their dependents

Financial & Retirement

Substantial incentive equityin a fully funded space start-up
401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match (immediately vested)
$20/pay period cell phone reimbursement
Relocation supportfor new hires, if needed

Workplace Experience & Perks

Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly
Company and team-bonding events, happyhoursand mission-success celebrations
Complimentary EV charging

ITAR Requirements

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. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our 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).

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 E-Verify program.

E-Verify Notice Right To Work Notice