Senior Mechanical Test Engineer, Automation - Spaceflight

Varda Space Industries

United States

On-site

USD 140,000 - 179,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Relocation assistance

Health insurance

Wellness reimbursement

Parental leave and family benefits

Job summary

Varda Space Industries in El Segundo, CA, is hiring a Senior Mechanical Test Engineer, Automation. Build and own bespoke test infrastructure to qualify spaceflight hardware, from propulsion test stands to environmental chambers.

You’ll integrate multidisciplinary systems, drive rapid iterations, and maintain production readiness with a modern PLC/electronics stack. You will partner with propulsion, avionics, and manufacturing teams, shaping scalable test platforms and ensuring high uptime while

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
5+ years in mechanical design or industrial automation.
Experience with SolidWorks or NX CAD.
Experience wiring cabinets, PLCs, harnesses, connectors.
Experience with Altium; migrating to EPLAN.
Hands-on in high‑pressure gas/fluid systems.
Environmental testing: TVAC, thermal cycling, vibration.
Propulsion test stands or similar complex test infra.
EtherCAT, Modbus, RS‑232/485 protocol familiarity.
Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 (IEC 61131‑3) experience or eagerness.

Responsibilities

Design, build, and maintain test systems and GSE for flight hardware qualification.
Integrate mechanical, electrical, fluid, and instrumentation systems.
Own test infrastructure from concept to commissioning.
Ensure uptime >99% and reliable performance.
Collaborate with propulsion, avionics, GNC and manufacturing teams.
Read and adapt internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling.