Senior Mechanical Test Engineer, Automation — Space GSE Leader

Varda Space Industries; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 179,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Relocation support

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Job summary

Varda Space Industries seeks a Senior Terrestrial Mechanical Test Engineer, Automation, to design and maintain test infrastructure that qualifies spacecraft hardware for orbit. You will build bespoke ground support equipment, from propulsion test stands to environmental chambers, and own systems end-to-end from concept through commissioning.

You will collaborate with propulsion, avionics, and manufacturing teams to deliver reliable, scalable test platforms, while advancing the PLC/EtherCAT stack

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical field required.
• 5+ years of industry experience in mechanical design or industrial automation.
• Experience with Solidworks, NX CAD or comparable software.
• Experience with electrical wiring for cabinets, PLCs, harnesses, connectors, etc.
• Experience with Altium or comparable electronic schematic design software; 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 complex multi-subsystem test infra.
• Hands-on experience integrating with industrial hardware via EtherCAT, Modbus, RS-232/485.

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; target >99% uptime.
• Serve as Responsible Engineer for test infrastructure like centrifuges, TVACs, prop test stands, gas benches and water stands.
• Build cabinets and wire panels; own end-to-end electrical design through commissioning.
• Collaborate with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing to meet aggressive timelines.
• Modify and extend PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling as program needs evolve.
• Promote sustainable engineering practices and thorough documentation for all systems.

Skills

Solidworks/NX CAD

Electrical wiring

Altium/EPLAN

High-pressure gas/fluid systems

Environmental testing

Propulsion test stands

EtherCAT/Modbus/RS-232

Beckhoff TwinCAT 3

Startup mindset

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Beckhoff TwinCAT 3

EtherCAT tooling

Job description

Varda Space Industries seeks a Senior Terrestrial Mechanical Test Engineer, Automation, to design and maintain test infrastructure that qualifies spacecraft hardware for orbit. You will build bespoke ground support equipment, from propulsion test stands to environmental chambers, and own systems end-to-end from concept through commissioning.

You will collaborate with propulsion, avionics, and manufacturing teams to deliver reliable, scalable test platforms, while advancing the PLC/EtherCAT stack