Senior Space Mechanical Design & Test Engineer, Automation

Varda; 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 in El Segundo, CA seeks a Senior Mechanical Design & Test Engineer, Automation, to build bespoke test infrastructure for spaceflight hardware qualification and production. You will design, build, and own GSE and test systems including propulsion test stands, environmental chambers, and spacecraft-level integration tooling.

You will lead rapid R&D test setups and long‑term infrastructure improvements, collaborating with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to meet aggressive

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical field.
• 5+ years of experience in mechanical design or industrial automation.
• Experience with SolidWorks, NX CAD or comparable.
• Experience with electrical wiring for cabinets, PLCs, harnesses, connectors.
• Experience with Altium or comparable schematic design software; migrating to EPLAN.
• Hands-on experience with high-pressure gas or fluid systems.
• Environmental test experience including TVAC, thermal cycling, and vibration testing.
• Experience developing propulsion test stands or complex, multi-subsystem test infrastructure.
• Hands-on experience integrating with industrial hardware over EtherCAT, Modbus, RS-232/485 or similar.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain test systems and ground support equipment (GSE) for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing operations including data acquisition systems (Pelican DAQ, Load cell DAQ, Accelerometer DAQ, prop test stands, fill carts), thermal control systems (chillers, heaters, Ln2), PLC cabinets, and gas/liquid systems (valves, sensors, solenoids, flowmeters).
• Test infrastructure achieves >99% uptime and predictable performance.
• Be the Responsible Engineer for test infrastructure including centrifuges, TVACs, prop test stands, prop fill carts, prop gas benches, prop water flow stands and torch test stands.
• 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 needs on aggressive timelines.
• Read, deploy and edit Varda's internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling to support evolving program needs.
• Champion sustainable engineering practices that enable new engineers to ramp quickly on the tech stack and maintain production systems reliably.

Skills

Mechanical design

Industrial automation

SolidWorks

Electrical wiring

Schematic design

Beckhoff PLC

EtherCAT

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Tools

SolidWorks

NX CAD

Altium

EPLAN

TwinCAT 3

Beckhoff

Job description

Varda in El Segundo, CA seeks a Senior Mechanical Design & Test Engineer, Automation, to build bespoke test infrastructure for spaceflight hardware qualification and production. You will design, build, and own GSE and test systems including propulsion test stands, environmental chambers, and spacecraft-level integration tooling.

You will lead rapid R&D test setups and long‑term infrastructure improvements, collaborating with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to meet aggressive