Senior Spaceflight Automation & Controls Engineer

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

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation support

Stock options

Medical, Dental, Vision insurance for

401(k) with employer match

Wellness reimbursement

Job summary

Varda Space Industries is seeking a Senior Automation and Controls Engineer to architect, build, and own test infrastructure for spaceflight hardware qualification. You’ll work on ground support equipment, integration testing, and a modern PLC-based stack.

The role blends hardware wiring, software control, and cross-team collaboration in a fast-paced startup setting. You’ll influence architecture decisions, contribute to IEC 61131-3 based control, and help define standards for reliable,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Computer, Mechanical Engineering or related technical field.
• 5+ years of industry experience in test automation, controls, and/or industrial automation.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain test systems and ground support equipment for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing operations.
• Integrate with external hardware including thermal vacuum chambers, ovens, chillers, pressure systems, data acquisition hardware, and instrumentation.
• Develop and extend Varda's internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling to support evolving program needs.
• Evaluate real-time control approaches, including PLC-based versus Linux-based implementations for high-frequency control.
• Build cabinets, wire panels, and own end-to-end electrical design and commissioning.
• Collaborate with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to meet aggressive timelines.
• Champion sustainable engineering practices to help new engineers ramp quickly.

Skills

Test automation

Controls engineering

Industrial automation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Computer/Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Beckhoff TwinCAT 3

EtherCAT

Modbus

PLC programming

Job description

Varda Space Industries is seeking a Senior Automation and Controls Engineer to architect, build, and own test infrastructure for spaceflight hardware qualification. You’ll work on ground support equipment, integration testing, and a modern PLC-based stack.

The role blends hardware wiring, software control, and cross-team collaboration in a fast-paced startup setting. You’ll influence architecture decisions, contribute to IEC 61131-3 based control, and help define standards for reliable,