Senior Spaceflight Automation & Controls Engineer

Varda Space Industries; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 179,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Health insurance

401(k) + company match

Relocation assistance

Wellness reimbursement

Job summary

Varda Space Industries is seeking a Senior Automation and Controls Engineer to build bespoke test infrastructure for spaceflight hardware qualification. You will design, build, and own GSE and test systems, including propulsion test stands and environmental chambers, using a modern stack with a custom PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling.

You will influence architecture decisions, define standards for real-time control, and collaborate with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical field.
• 5+ years of industry experience in test automation, controls, and/or industrial automation.
• Hands-on experience with EtherCAT, Modbus, RS-232/485 or similar communication standards.
• Experience with Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 and IEC 61131-3 is preferred.
• Ability to design electrical panels, wire cabinets, debug hardware, and write control software.

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, and data acquisition systems.
• Develop and extend Varda's internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling.
• Evaluate real-time control approaches, including PLC-based vs Linux-based solutions.
• Build cabinets, wire panels, and own systems end-to-end from electrical design through commissioning.
• Partner with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to meet aggressive timelines.
• Champion sustainable engineering practices and ramp new engineers on the tech stack.

Skills

Test automation

Controls engineering

Industrial automation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical field

Tools

EtherCAT

Modbus

RS-232/485

Job description

Varda Space Industries is seeking a Senior Automation and Controls Engineer to build bespoke test infrastructure for spaceflight hardware qualification. You will design, build, and own GSE and test systems, including propulsion test stands and environmental chambers, using a modern stack with a custom PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling.

You will influence architecture decisions, define standards for real-time control, and collaborate with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to