Terrestrial Automation and Controls Engineer II Verified today

About Varda

Varda accelerates commercial space infrastructure: in-orbit pharmaceutical processing and reliable reentry capsules. The W-Series vehicles are designed, built, and operated by Varda in-house, including payloads, capsules, heat shields, and satellite buses. Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California.

About This Role

The Automation and Controls Engineer II builds bespoke test infrastructure that qualifies spaceflight hardware for orbit. You design, build, and own sophisticated ground support equipment (GSE) and test systems: propulsion test stands, environmental qualification chambers, spacecraft-level integration testing and more. The stack is modern, including a custom PLC framework and Beckhoff EtherCAT tooling built in-house. You will have meaningful impact on architecture decisions and the chance to define standards that will outlast any single program.

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, including evaluation of 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 on the tech stack and maintain production systems reliably.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical field.
• 2+ years of industry experience in test automation, controls, 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 there.
• 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.
• 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 working 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 Location

Salary range: $119,543 to $152,749 per year. This role is onsite in El Segundo, California. Leveling and base salary are determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance. You will be eligible for incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards.

Benefits

Regular full-time employees receive:

• Flexible PTO policy and 12 paid holidays
• 100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans with FSA and employer-matched HSA options
• Voluntary accident, hospital, critical illness, and pet insurance
• $120 per month wellness reimbursement
• 12 weeks of parental leave with supplemental disability leave for California mothers
• Family building, pregnancy, parenting and menopause benefits via Maven Clinic
• Sponsored One Medical memberships
• Substantial incentive equity in a fully funded space startup
• 401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match (immediately vested)
• $20 per pay period cell phone reimbursement
• Relocation support for new hires, if needed
• Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly
• Company and team-bonding events
• Complimentary EV charging

ITAR Requirements

You must be a U.S. person: a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or individual admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum. Varda employees have access to export-controlled items and are subject to ITAR restrictions. Varda participates in E-Verify.