Terrestrial Automation and Controls Engineer II
Vardaspace · El Segundo, California, United States
About this role
## Terrestrial Automation and Controls Engineer II **About Varda** Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules. We build, design, and operate our W-Series vehicles in-house, including pharmaceutical processing payloads, capsules, heat shields, and satellite buses. **About This Role** The Automation and Controls Engineer II builds bespoke test infrastructure that qualifies spaceflight hardware for orbit. You'll design, build, and own sophisticated ground support equipment (GSE) and test systems including propulsion test stands, environmental qualification chambers, and spacecraft-level integration testing. Our stack is modern, featuring a custom PLC framework and Beckhoff EtherCAT tooling built in-house. **Key Responsibilities** • Design, build, and maintain test systems and GSE for flight hardware qualification • Integrate with external hardware (thermal vacuum chambers, ovens, chillers, pressure systems, instrumentation) • Develop and extend Varda's internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling • Contribute to architecture decisions on real-time control implementation • Build cabinets, wire panels, and own systems end-to-end from design through commissioning • Partner with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams • Champion sustainable engineering practices for team ramp-up and system reliability **Basic Qualifications** • Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Computer, or Mechanical Engineering (or related field) • 2+ years of industry experience in test automation, controls, or industrial automation • Hands-on experience integrating industrial hardware (EtherCAT, Modbus, RS-232/485, etc.) • Experience with modern PLC ecosystems (ideally Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 with IEC 61131-3) • Full-stack capability: control software, electrical panel design, cabinet wiring, hardware debugging • Proven ability to thrive in fast-paced startup environments with end-to-end ownership **Preferred Experience** • Advanced EtherCAT expertise (DC sync, ENI configuration, master implementation) • Production experience with TwinCAT 3 and IEC 61131-3 • Deterministic, hard real-time control loops (sub-millisecond cycle times) • Time-series data acquisition tools (Grafana, InfluxDB) • Aerospace/spacecraft testing or GSE development • Environmental testing (TVAC, thermal cycling, vibration) • High-pressure gas/fluid systems experience • Propulsion test stand or complex multi-subsystem infrastructure development • Spacecraft qualification standards and documentation • Safety-related control systems development **Compensation & Location** 💰 $119,543 - $152,749/year (Engineer II) 📍 On-site in El Segundo, CA 📈 Stock options and/or long-term cash awards **Benefits** ✓ Flexible PTO + 12 paid holidays ✓ 100% company-paid Medical, Dental, Vision insurance ✓ FSA and employer-matched HSA options ✓ $120/month wellness reimbursement ✓ 12 weeks parental leave ✓ Voluntary accident, hospital, critical illness, and pet insurance
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