Senior Spaceflight Automation & Controls Engineer

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

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible PTO

Medical, Dental, Vision insurance

Relocation support

Stock options

401(k) with match

Job summary

Varda Space Industries is seeking a Senior Automation and Controls Engineer to build bespoke test infrastructure for orbit qualification. You will design, implement, and own GSE, propulsion test stands, and environmental chambers with a modern PLC stack and in-house EtherCAT tooling.

Expect real impact on architecture decisions and standards. You will collaborate with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to deliver robust test infrastructure, while championing sustainable

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical field.
• 5+ years in test automation, controls, and/or industrial automation.
• Hands-on experience with industrial hardware interfaces (EtherCAT, Modbus TCP/RTU, RS-232/485).
• Experience with modern PLC ecosystems, ideally Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 with IEC 61131-3.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain test systems and GSE for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing operations.
• Integrate with external hardware including thermal vacuum chambers, ovens, chillers, and data acquisition systems.
• Develop and extend internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling for evolving program needs.
• Evaluate real-time control approaches (TwinCAT 3 vs Linux) for high-frequency control.
• Assemble cabinets, wire panels, and own end-to-end systems from electrical design to commissioning.
• Collaborate with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to meet aggressive timelines.

Skills

EtherCAT

Beckhoff TwinCAT 3

PLC programming

Electrical panel wiring

Test automation

Systems integration

Python scripting

GSE development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical field

Tools

Beckhoff TwinCAT 3

Grafana

InfluxDB

Job description

Varda Space Industries is seeking a Senior Automation and Controls Engineer to build bespoke test infrastructure for orbit qualification. You will design, implement, and own GSE, propulsion test stands, and environmental chambers with a modern PLC stack and in-house EtherCAT tooling.

Expect real impact on architecture decisions and standards. You will collaborate with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to deliver robust test infrastructure, while championing sustainable