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Salary: USD 140,333 - 179,314 / annual
Varda Space Industries is accelerating commercial space infrastructure development, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reentry capsules. The company designs, builds, and operates W-Series vehicles in-house, including pharmaceutical processing payloads, capsules, heat shields, and satellite buses.
The Senior Mechanical Test and Design Engineer, Automation builds bespoke test infrastructure that qualifies spaceflight hardware for orbit. This role designs, builds, and owns sophisticated ground support equipment (GSE) and test systems including propulsion test stands, environmental qualification chambers, and spacecraft-level integration testing. The tech stack includes modern tooling with 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, propellant fill carts, propellant gas benches, propellant 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 high-cadence, production-enabling equipment and integrates mechanical, electrical, fluid, and instrumentation systems into cohesive test platforms. You will implement solutions from concept through fabrication, assembly, commissioning, and ongoing support, managing both rapid R&D test setups and long-term infrastructure improvements.
Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California with offices and production facilities there, plus offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL. The company was founded in January 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov with backing from Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Caffeinated Capital, General Catalyst, and Also Capital.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical field
- 5+ 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, connectors, etc.
- Experience with Altium or comparable electronic schematic design software (company is migrating to EPLAN)
- Hands-on experience 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 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:
- 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.
