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Senior Terrestrial Automation & Controls Engineer Verified today

Varda Space · El Segundo, CA · Space Systems · first seen 2026-10-12
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About Varda

Varda is accelerating commercial space infrastructure, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable reentry capsules. Varda's W-Series vehicles are built, designed, and operated in-house, including pharmaceutical processing payloads, capsules, C-PICA heat shields, and satellite buses. The company is headquartered in El Segundo, California, with offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.

The Role

You will design, build, and own sophisticated test infrastructure that qualifies spaceflight hardware for orbit. You'll create ground support equipment and test systems including propulsion test stands, environmental qualification chambers, and spacecraft-level integration testing. You'll work with a modern stack featuring a custom PLC framework and Beckhoff EtherCAT tooling built in-house, with meaningful input into architecture decisions and the chance to define standards for future programs.

Your 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 precision instrumentation
  • Develop and extend Varda's internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling to support evolving program needs
  • Contribute to architecture decisions on real-time control implementation, evaluating PLC-based (TwinCAT 3) versus Linux-based approaches for high-frequency control applications
  • Build cabinets, wire panels, and own systems end-to-end from electrical design through commissioning
  • Partner with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to deliver test infrastructure on aggressive timelines
  • Champion sustainable engineering practices that enable new engineers to ramp quickly and maintain production systems reliably

Basic 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 integrating with industrial hardware over protocols such as EtherCAT, Modbus (TCP/RTU), RS-232/485 serial, or similar communication standards
  • Experience with at least one modern PLC ecosystem, ideally Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 with structured text (IEC 61131-3), or demonstrated eagerness to develop deep expertise
  • Comfort working across the full stack: designing electrical panels, wiring cabinets, debugging hardware, and writing control software
  • Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced startup environment where priorities shift and end-to-end ownership of problems is expected

Preferred Skills and Experience

  • Strong intuition for when to use real-time PLC code versus higher-level Python orchestration, and understanding of the tradeoff
  • Experience working with custom or in-house control frameworks
  • Advanced EtherCAT expertise including DC sync, ENI configuration, master implementation, or driver-level work
  • Production experience with TwinCAT 3, structured text, and the broader IEC 61131-3 language suite
  • Experience designing deterministic, hard real-time control loops with sub-millisecond cycle times
  • Familiarity with time-series data acquisition and visualization tools such as Grafana or InfluxDB
  • Aerospace experience, particularly in spacecraft testing or GSE development
  • Environmental test experience including TVAC, thermal cycling, and vibration testing
  • Hands-on experience with high-pressure gas or fluid systems
  • Experience developing propulsion test stands or other complex, multi-subsystem test infrastructure
  • Familiarity with spacecraft qualification standards and associated documentation requirements
  • Experience developing safety-related control systems and evaluating proposed solutions for reducing safety-related risks

Compensation and Work Environment

  • Salary range: $140,333 to $179,314 per year (Senior level)
  • On-site in El Segundo, California
  • Eligible for stock options and/or long-term cash awards
  • Base salary determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance

ITAR Requirements

You must be a U.S. person as defined by ITAR requirements: U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum. This is required because employees have access to export-controlled items.