Senior Spaceflight Automation and Test Systems Engineer

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

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Parental leave (12 weeks)

Relocation assistance

401(k) with 6% match

Stock options

Wellness reimbursement

Free meals at work

EV charging

Job summary

Varda Space Industries is seeking a Senior Automation and Controls Engineer in El Segundo, CA to design, build, and own advanced ground test systems for flight hardware qualification.

You will extend the internal PLC framework (Beckhoff TwinCAT 3) and evaluate real-time control approaches while collaborating with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to meet aggressive timelines.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Computer/Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years in test automation, controls, or industrial automation.
• Hands-on experience with EtherCAT, Modbus, RS-232/485.
• Experience with a modern PLC ecosystem, preferably TwinCAT 3.
• End-to-end ownership: control software, electrical panels, wiring.
• Thrives in a fast-paced startup environment with ownership.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain test systems and GSE for flight hardware qualification.
• Integrate with external hardware (thermal vacuum chambers, ovens, chillers, etc.).
• Develop and extend internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling.
• Contribute to architecture decisions on real-time control (TwinCAT3 vs Linux).
• Build cabinets, wire panels, and own end-to-end systems.
• Collaborate with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams.
• Champion sustainable engineering practices for new engineers.

Skills

EtherCAT

Modbus

RS-232/485

TwinCAT 3

IEC 61131-3

Control software

Electrical panel design

GSE/test automation

Real-time control

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Computer/Mechanical Engineering or related technical field

Tools

Beckhoff TwinCAT 3

PLC frameworks

Grafana/InfluxDB

Job description

Varda Space Industries is seeking a Senior Automation and Controls Engineer in El Segundo, CA to design, build, and own advanced ground test systems for flight hardware qualification.

You will extend the internal PLC framework (Beckhoff TwinCAT 3) and evaluate real-time control approaches while collaborating with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to meet aggressive timelines.