Senior Mechanical Test & Automation Engineer - Space GSE

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, Inc. in El Segundo, CA is seeking a Senior Mechanical Design & Test Engineer, Automation, to build bespoke test infrastructure for spaceflight hardware qualification.

You will design, deploy, and own ground support equipment and test systems, integrating mechanical, electrical, and control subsystems. This role emphasizes rapid prototyping, long-term infrastructure improvements, and cross-functional collaboration with propulsion, avionics, and manufacturing teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical field.
• 5+ years of mechanical design or industrial automation experience.
• Experience with SolidWorks, NX CAD or comparable.
• Experience with electrical wiring for cabinets, PLCs and harnesses.
• Experience with Altium or EPLAN; migration to EPLAN underway.
• Hands-on experience with high-pressure gas or fluid systems.
• Environmental test experience including TVAC, thermal cycling, vibration testing.
• Hands-on experience with EtherCAT, Modbus, RS-232/485, or similar.
• Experience with Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 or eagerness to develop deep expertise.
• Thrives in a fast-paced startup environment with end-to-end ownership.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain test systems and GSE for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing.
• Ensure test infrastructure uptime & performance (>99%).
• Act as Responsible Engineer for test infrastructure (centrifuges, TVACs, prop test stands).
• Build cabinets, wire panels, and own systems end-to-end from design to commissioning.
• Collaborate with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing on timelines.
• Read and modify internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling as needed.
• Promote sustainable engineering practices and thorough documentation.

Skills

Mechanical design

Industrial automation

SolidWorks/NX CAD

Electrical wiring

Altium/EPLAN

High-pressure gas/fluid systems

TVAC/thermal/vibration testing

EtherCAT/Modbus/RS-232

Beckhoff TwinCAT 3

Startup environment

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Beckhoff TwinCAT 3

EPLAN

Altium

Pelican DAQ

EtherCAT tooling

Python

Job description

Varda Space Industries, Inc. in El Segundo, CA is seeking a Senior Mechanical Design & Test Engineer, Automation, to build bespoke test infrastructure for spaceflight hardware qualification.

You will design, deploy, and own ground support equipment and test systems, integrating mechanical, electrical, and control subsystems. This role emphasizes rapid prototyping, long-term infrastructure improvements, and cross-functional collaboration with propulsion, avionics, and manufacturing teams.