Senior Mechanical Design Engineer - Space Test Systems

Telemetry Today LLC; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 179,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Long-term cash awards

Job summary

Varda Space Industries is seeking a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer in El Segundo, CA to design and build advanced GSE and ground test systems for flight hardware qualification.

You will integrate mechanical, electrical, fluid, and instrumentation systems, and own work from concept through fabrication, assembly, commissioning, and ongoing support. The role demands rapid problem-solving and close collaboration with propulsion, avionics, and manufacturing teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years of mechanical design or industrial automation experience.
• Extensive experience with Solidworks and NX CAD.
• Experience wiring cabinets, PLCs, harnesses, and connectors.
• Experience with Altium or comparable schematic design; migrating to EPLAN.
• Hands-on experience with high-pressure gas or fluid systems.
• Environmental test experience (TVAC, thermal cycling, vibration).
• Experience developing propulsion test stands or other complex, multi-subsystem test infrastructure.
• Hands-on experience integrating with industrial hardware over EtherCAT, Modbus (TCP/RTU), RS-232/485.
• Experience with Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 or willingness to develop deep expertise there.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced startup with end-to-end ownership.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain test systems and ground support equipment (GSE) for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing, including data acquisition systems, thermal control, PLC cabinets, and gas/liquid systems.
• Test infrastructure uptime target is >99% and predictable performance.
• Be the Responsible Engineer for test infrastructure including centrifuges, TVACs, prop test stands, and related benches.
• Build cabinets, wire panels, and own systems end-to-end from electrical design through commissioning.
• Collaborate with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to meet aggressive timelines.
• Read, deploy, and minor edit Varda's PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling to support program needs.
• Champion sustainable engineering practices and ensure thorough documentation and clear procedures.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Solidworks

NX CAD

Altium

EPLAN

Beckhoff TwinCAT 3

EtherCAT tooling

Modbus

Job description

Varda Space Industries is seeking a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer in El Segundo, CA to design and build advanced GSE and ground test systems for flight hardware qualification.

You will integrate mechanical, electrical, fluid, and instrumentation systems, and own work from concept through fabrication, assembly, commissioning, and ongoing support. The role demands rapid problem-solving and close collaboration with propulsion, avionics, and manufacturing teams.