Senior Mechanical Test Engineer, Spaceflight Automation

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision insurance

Relocation support

Stock options

401(k) match

Wellness reimbursement

Parental leave

Relocation assistance

Life insurance

Gym/fitness reimbursement

Job summary

Varda Space Industries in El Segundo, CA seeks a Senior Mechanical Test Engineer, Automation to design and own bespoke ground test infrastructure for spaceflight hardware qualification and manufacturing. You will integrate mechanical, electrical, fluid, and instrumentation systems into cohesive platforms and drive rapid, high-cadence test capabilities.

You will lead end-to-end execution from concept through fabrication, assembly, commissioning, and ongoing support, while mentoring new engineers

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical field.
• 5+ years in mechanical design or industrial automation.
• Experience with Solidworks, NX CAD or comparable.
• Electrical wiring for cabinets, PLCs, harnesses, connectors.
• Experience with Altium or EPLAN; migrating to EPLAN.
• Hands-on experience with high-pressure gas or fluid systems.
• Environmental testing including TVAC, thermal cycling, and vibration testing.
• Experience developing propulsion test stands or complex test infrastructure.
• Experience with industrial hardware protocols (EtherCAT, Modbus, RS-232/485).
• Experience with Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 or related IEC 61131-3 ecosystem.
• Thrives in fast-paced startup with end-to-end ownership.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain test systems and GSE for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing operations.
• Achieve >99% uptime and reliable performance of test infrastructure.
• Serve as Responsible Engineer for test infrastructure (centrifuges, TVACs, prop test stands, etc.).
• Build cabinets, wire panels, and own systems end-to-end from design to commissioning.
• Collaborate with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to meet aggressive timelines.
• Modify and extend the internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling as needed.
• Document all systems with clear procedures and schematics.

Skills

Solidworks/NX CAD

Electrical wiring for cabinets

EtherCAT/Modbus experience

Beckhoff TwinCAT 3

Industrial automation

System integration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Solidworks

NX CAD

Altium

EPLAN

Pelican DAQ

TwinCAT 3

Job description

Varda Space Industries in El Segundo, CA seeks a Senior Mechanical Test Engineer, Automation to design and own bespoke ground test infrastructure for spaceflight hardware qualification and manufacturing. You will integrate mechanical, electrical, fluid, and instrumentation systems into cohesive platforms and drive rapid, high-cadence test capabilities.

You will lead end-to-end execution from concept through fabrication, assembly, commissioning, and ongoing support, while mentoring new engineers