Senior Software Automation and Controls Engineer - Python & PLCs

Vardaspace; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 169,000 - 216,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible PTO

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Relocation assistance

401(k) match

Job summary

Varda Space Industries in El Segundo, CA, is seeking a Senior Software Automation and Controls Engineer to build test infrastructure and ground support equipment for spaceflight hardware. You will own end-to-end testing architecture across software, electrical, and mechanical domains.

You’ll work on a small, fast-growing team with ownership over PLC frameworks (TwinCAT 3) and EtherCAT tooling, shaping how test automation scales from propulsion to spacecraft integration in a hands-on startup

Qualifications

• BS in Electrical, Computer, Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years of industry experience in test automation, controls, or industrial automation.
• Strong Python skills for hardware control or test automation applications.
• Hands-on experience with EtherCAT, Modbus, serial, or similar protocols.
• Experience with modern PLC ecosystems, preferably Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 with structured text.
• Comfort across the stack: control software, electrical panels, wiring cabinets, and debugging hardware.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced startup environment with end-to-end ownership.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain test systems and ground support equipment for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing.
• Integrate with external hardware: thermal vacuum chambers, ovens, chillers, pressure systems, data acquisition hardware, instrumentation.
• Develop and extend the internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling.
• Evaluate real-time control approaches (TwinCAT 3 vs Linux-based) for high-frequency control.
• 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.
• Foster sustainable engineering practices to onboard new engineers to the tech stack.

Skills

Python

EtherCAT

Modbus

PLC programming

TwinCAT 3

Electrical design

System integration

Education

BS in Electrical/Computer/Mechanical Engineering

Tools

TwinCAT 3

EtherCAT tooling

Docker

Grafana/InfluxDB

Job description

About Varda

Low Earth orbit is open for business. Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules. Varda’s W-Series vehicles are built, designed, and operated by Varda in-house, including the pharmaceutical processing payloads, the capsules, the C-PICA heat shields, and the satellite buses.

From life-saving pharmaceuticals to more powerful fiber optics, there is a world of products used on Earth today that can only be manufactured in space. Varda is accelerating innovation in the orbital economy by creating both the products and infrastructure needed so space can directly benefit life on Earth. Our mission is to expand the economic bounds of humankind.

Our team is uniquely suited to accomplishing this goal, with leadership and staff comprised of veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies and Silicon Valley. Varda was founded in January 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov with significant backing from world class investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Caffeinated Capital, General Catalyst, and Also Capital.

Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California, where we have offices and a production facility where our vehicles, equipment, and materials are built, integrated, and tested. Varda also has offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.

Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.

About this Role

As a Senior Software Automation and Controls Engineer at Varda, you're going to develop our custom test infrastructure and bespoke engineering solutions for spaceflight hardware. You'll build sophisticated ground support equipment (GSE) and test systems supporting spacecraft development and manufacturing operations, working at the intersection of software, electrical, and mechanical domains.

This is a hands-on engineering role on a small, growing team. You'll have significant ownership over architecture decisions and the opportunity to shape how test automation is done across the organization, from propulsion test stands to environmental qualification to spacecraft-level integration testing. Our stack includes a custom modern software-engineering-focused PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling, so you should be the kind of engineer who's energized rather than intimidated by working inside a proprietary stack.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain test systems and ground support equipment for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing.
• Integrate with a wide range of external hardware: thermal vacuum chambers, ovens, chillers, pressure systems, data acquisition hardware, and instrumentation.
• Develop and extend our internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling.
• Contribute to architecture decisions on real-time control implementation, including evaluation of PLC-based (TwinCAT 3) vs. Linux-based approaches for high-frequency control applications.
• Build cabinets, wire panels, and own systems end-to-end from electrical design through commissioning.
• Partner with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to deliver test infrastructure that meets their needs on aggressive timelines.
• Demonstrate sustainable engineering practices that help onboard new engineers to the tech stack and maintain production systems.

Basic Qualifications

• BS in Electrical, Computer, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of industry experience in test automation, controls, or industrial automation.
• Strong Python skills, particularly for hardware control or test automation applications.
• Hands‑on experience integrating with industrial hardware over protocols like EtherCAT, Modbus (TCP/TRU), serial (RS232/485), or similar.
• Experience with at least one modern PLC ecosystem, ideally Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 with structured text (IEC 61131‑3) or willingness to develop deep expertise there.
• Comfort working across the stack: writing control software, designing electrical panels, wiring cabinets, debugging hardware.
• Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced startup environment where priorities shift and you're expected to own problems end-to-end.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience working with custom or in‑house control frameworks (vs. only vendor‑provided stacks).
• EtherCAT experience beyond consumer‑level usage—DC sync, ENI configuration, master implementation, or driver‑level work.
• Production experience with TwinCAT 3, structured text, and the broader IEC 61131‑3 languages.
• Experience designing deterministic, hard real‑time control loops (sub‑millisecond cycle times).
• Understanding of when to use real‑time PLC code vs. higher‑level orchestration in Python—and the tradeoffs between them.
• Bare‑metal or embedded firmware experience.Experience with Docker and DevOps tooling for test infrastructure deployment.
• Experience with time‑series data acquisition and visualization (Grafana, InfluxDB, or similar).
• Aerospace experience, particularly spacecraft testing or GSE development.
• Environmental test experience: TVAC, thermal cycling, vibration.
• Hands‑on experience with high‑pressure gas or fluid systems.
• Experience developing propulsion test stands or other complex test infrastructure.
• Familiarity with spacecraft qualification standards.
• Experience developing safety‑related control systems and evaluating proposed solutions for reducing safety‑related risks.

Pay Range

• Salary range: $169,000.00 – $216,000.00 annually.
• This role is on‑site in El Segundo, CA.
• Leveling and base salary is determined by job‑related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance.
• You will be eligible for incentives in the form of stock options and/or long‑term cash awards.

Benefits

• Flexible PTO policy +12 paid holidays.
• 100% company‑paid medical, dental, and vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer‑matched HSA options.
• Voluntary accident, hospital, critical illness, and pet insurance.
• $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses.
• 12 weeks of parental leave (with supplemental disability leave for CA mothers).
• Family‑building, pregnancy, parenting, and menopause benefits via Maven Clinic.
• Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents.
• Substantial incentive equity in a fully funded space start‑up.
• 401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match (immediately vested).
• $20/pay‑period cell phone reimbursement.
• Relocation support for new hires, if needed.
• Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly.
• Company and team‑bonding events, happy hours and mission‑success celebrations.
• Complimentary EV charging.

ITAR Requirements

Varda, like all employers, must ensure that its employees working in the United States are lawfully authorized to work in the U.S. Additionally, our employees are exposed to and have access to certain export‑controlled items. Because our employees are provided access to export‑controlled items, our policy is to only hire “U.S. persons” who are permitted to have access to our technology without an export license.

“US person” means: U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) (i.e., individual admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum).

E-Verify Statement

Varda Space Industries, Inc. participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E-Verify program. The E-Verify program is an Internet‑based employment eligibility verification system operated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Varda Space Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates and employees are always evaluated based on merit, qualifications, and performance. We will never discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.