Senior Mechanical Test & Automation Engineer

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

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

401(k) match

Medical insurance

Relocation assistance

Cell phone reimbursement

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

Mechanical design

Industrial automation

CAD design

Electrical wiring

Altium

EPLAN migration

High-pressure systems

TVAC testing

Propulsion tests

Gas & fluid systems

EtherCAT

Modbus

RS-232/485

Beckhoff TwinCAT

Startup mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

NX CAD

Altium

EPLAN

Beckhoff TwinCAT

Job description

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