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Varda Space Industries is building commercial space infrastructure, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing systems and reentry capsules. The Automation & Controls team designs and builds sophisticated ground support equipment (GSE) and test systems that qualify spaceflight hardware for orbit, including propulsion test stands, environmental qualification chambers, and spacecraft-level integration testing.
In this role, you will design, build, and own GSE and test systems end-to-end. Key responsibilities include:
- 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
You will work with a modern tech stack including custom PLC frameworks and Beckhoff EtherCAT tooling built in-house. The role offers meaningful impact on architecture decisions and the chance to define standards for the company's growing space infrastructure programs.
Varda was founded in 2021 by veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, and major pharmaceutical companies, backed by Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, and other top-tier investors. The company is headquartered in El Segundo with additional offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.
