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Salary: USD 119,543 - 152,749 / annual
Varda Space Industries is accelerating commercial space infrastructure development, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing and reentry capsules. The company designs, builds, and operates its W-Series vehicles end-to-end, including pharmaceutical processing payloads, capsules, heat shields, and satellite buses.
The Mechanical Design and Test Engineer II, Automation role focuses on designing and building bespoke test infrastructure that qualifies spaceflight hardware for orbit. This is a hands-on position where you will design, build, and own sophisticated ground support equipment (GSE) and test systems including propulsion test stands, environmental qualification chambers, and spacecraft-level integration testing platforms. The team uses modern tooling including a custom PLC framework and Beckhoff EtherCAT systems built in-house.
Key responsibilities include:
- Design, build, and maintain test systems and GSE for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing operations, including data acquisition systems (Pelican DAQ, load cell DAQ, accelerometer DAQ), thermal control systems (chillers, heaters, liquid nitrogen), PLC cabinets, and gas/liquid systems (valves, transducers, solenoids, flowmeters)
- Achieve >99% uptime and predictable performance for test infrastructure
- Serve as the "Responsible Engineer" for test infrastructure including centrifuges, TVACs, propulsion test stands, propulsion fill carts, propulsion gas benches, propulsion water flow stands, and torch test stands
- 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
- Read, deploy, and make minor edits to Varda's internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling
- Champion sustainable engineering practices with thorough documentation, clear procedures, and accessible schematics to enable rapid onboarding
The role prioritizes production-enabling equipment and integrates mechanical, electrical, fluid, and instrumentation systems into cohesive test platforms. You will manage both rapid R&D test setups and long-term test infrastructure improvements.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical field
- 3+ years of industry experience in mechanical design or industrial automation
- Extensive experience with Solidworks, NX CAD, or comparable CAD software
- Experience with electrical wiring for cabinets, PLCs, harnesses, and connectors
- Experience with Altium or comparable electronic schematic design software (company is migrating to EPLAN)
- Hands-on experience working with high-pressure gas or fluid systems
- Environmental test experience, including TVAC, thermal cycling, and vibration testing
- Experience developing propulsion test stands or other complex, multi-subsystem test infrastructure
- 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
- Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced startup environment where priorities shift and end-to-end ownership is expected
Preferred skills and experience:
- Aerospace experience, particularly in spacecraft testing or GSE development
- Familiarity with spacecraft qualification standards and associated documentation requirements
- Experience developing safety-related control systems and evaluating proposed solutions for reducing safety-related risks
- Programming experience in low-level firmware or high-level Python
Note: ITAR requirements apply. Only U.S. persons (U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents, or individuals admitted as refugees or granted asylum) are eligible due to access to export-controlled items.
