Senior Mechanical Test and Design Engineer, Automation
Varda
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Varda is seeking a Senior Mechanical Test and Design Engineer, Automation, to develop and own sophisticated ground test equipment for spaceflight hardware in El Segundo, CA. You will lead integration of mechanical, electrical, fluid, and instrumentation systems, and drive end-to-end test infrastructure projects from concept through commissioning.
You will collaborate with propulsion, avionics, and manufacturing teams to deliver high-cadence test platforms, while adopting Beickhoff EtherCAT
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
- 5+ years in mechanical design or industrial automation.
- Experience with SolidWorks, NX CAD or comparable.
- Experience wiring cabinets, PLCs, harnesses, connectors.
- Experience with Altium; migrating to EPLAN.
- Hands-on with high-pressure gas or fluid systems.
- Environmental testing including TVAC, thermal cycling, vibration.
- Experience developing propulsion test stands or multi-subsystem test infra.
- Hands-on with EtherCAT, Modbus, RS-232/485.
- Experience with Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 (IEC 61131-3).
- Thrives in fast-paced startup environments.
Responsibilities
- Design, build, and maintain test systems and GSE for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing, including data acquisition and thermal control systems.
- Ensure test infrastructure uptime & performance (>99%).
- Be the Responsible Engineer for test infrastructure (centrifuges, TVACs, prop test stands, gas 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 and modify Varda's PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling as needed.
- Champion sustainable engineering practices and well-documented, reproducible procedures.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
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.
The Senior Mechanical Design & Test Engineer, Automation builds bespoke test infrastructure that qualifies spaceflight hardware for orbit. They 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.
- Enable high cadence, production enabling equipment is priority #1.
- Integrate mechanical, electrical, fluid, and instrumentation systems into cohesive test platforms.
- Implement solutions from concept through fabrication, assembly, commissioning, and ongoing support.
- Manage both rapid R&D test setups and long-term test infrastructure improvements.
- Design, build, and maintain test systems and ground support equipment (GSE) for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing operations including data acquisition systems (Pelican DAQ, Load cell DAQ, Accelerometer DAQ, prop test stands, fill carts), thermal control systems (chillers, heaters, Ln2), PLC cabinets, and gas/liquid systems (valves, ducers, solenoids, flowmeters).
- Test infrastructure achieves >99% uptime and predictable performance.
- Be the "Responsible Engineer" for test infrastructure including centrifuges, TVACs, prop test stands, prop fill carts, prop gas benches, prop water flow stands and torch test stands.
- 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.
- Read, deploy and make minor edits to Varda's internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling to support evolving program need.
- Champion sustainable engineering practices that enable new engineers to ramp quickly on the tech stack and maintain production systems reliably. All systems are thoroughly documented, with clear, accessible procedures and schematics.
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, or related technical field.
- 5+ years of industry experience in mechanical design or industrial automation.
- Extensive experience using Solidworks, NX CAD or comparable.
- Experience with electrical wiring for cabinets, PLCs, harnesses, connectors, etc.
- Experience with Altium or comparable electronic schematic design software. We are migrating to EPLAN!
- Hands-on experience working with high-pressure gas or fluid systems.
- Environmental test experience, including TVAC, thermal cycling, and vibration testing.
- Experience developing propulsion test stands or other complex, multi-subsystem test infrastructure.
- 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.
- Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced startup environment where priorities shift, and end-to-end ownership of problems is expected.
- Aerospace experience, particularly in spacecraft testing or GSE development.
- Familiarity with spacecraft qualification standards and associated documentation requirements.
- Experience developing safety-related control systems and evaluating proposed solutions for reducing safety-related risks.
- Programming, either low level firmware or high-level Python.
- Salary range: Senior: $140,333 - $179,314/ per year.
- 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.
- You will be eligible for incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards.
Consider your benefits covered for launch. At Varda, we invest in benefits and perks that support your health, financial well-being, and life beyond work. Benefits vary by position, with packages designed specifically for our regular full-time employees and interns.
Regular Full-Time Positions:
- 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)
- SponsoredOne Medicalmemberships for employees and their dependents
- Substantial incentive equityin a fully funded space start-up
- 401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match (immediatelyvested)
- $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement
- Relocation supportfor new hires, if needed
- Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly
- Company and team-bonding events, happyhoursand mission-success celebrations
- Complimentary EV charging
Intern Positions:
- 100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options
- $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses
- Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents
- $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement
- Up to $4,000gross up in relocation support, ifeligible
- Up to $850commute credit through Lyft or car rental reimbursement, if eligible
- Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly
- Company and team-bonding events, happyhoursand mission-success celebrations
- Complimentary EV charging
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 the E-Verify program.
Varda Space Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates and employees are always evaluated based on merit, qualifications, and performance. We will never discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, martial status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.
For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.
As set forth in Varda Space Industries’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.
If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:
A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.
A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.
An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.
An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.
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