Senior Spacecraft Automation & Test Systems Engineer

Vardaspace; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 179,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Relocation assistance

On-site amenities

Equity incentives

Job summary

Varda Space Industries, Inc. is seeking an experienced Automation and Controls engineer to design, build, and maintain test infrastructure for space hardware qualification and manufacturing.

You will integrate with diverse hardware, extend PLC frameworks, and guide real-time control decisions. The role requires hands-on wiring, panel design, and end-to-end system ownership in a fast-paced startup environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of industry experience in test automation, controls, and/or industrial automation.
• Hands-on experience integrating with industrial hardware over EtherCAT, Modbus, RS-232/485, or similar protocols.
• Experience with at least one modern PLC ecosystem, ideally Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 with structured text (IEC 61131-3).
• Comfort working across full stack: control software, electrical panels, wiring cabinets, debugging hardware.
• Thrives 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 operations.
• Integrate with external hardware including environmental chambers, ovens, chillers, pressure systems, data acquisition hardware, and instrumentation.
• Develop and extend internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling to support evolving program needs.
• Contribute to architecture decisions on real-time control implementations (TwinCAT 3 vs Linux-based approaches).
• 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.

Skills

Electrical engineering

Controls engineering

Industrial automation

EtherCAT

Beckhoff TwinCAT 3

Programmable logic controllers

Electrical panels

System integration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering / Computer Engineering / Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Beckhoff TwinCAT 3

EtherCAT

Modbus

PLC (IEC 61131-3)

Job description

Varda Space Industries, Inc. is seeking an experienced Automation and Controls engineer to design, build, and maintain test infrastructure for space hardware qualification and manufacturing.

You will integrate with diverse hardware, extend PLC frameworks, and guide real-time control decisions. The role requires hands-on wiring, panel design, and end-to-end system ownership in a fast-paced startup environment.