Ground Support Equipment, Design Engineer II (Aerospace)

Location: On-site in El Segundo, California, United States. U.S. work authorization is required, and access to export-controlled technology is limited to U.S. persons.

Salary: $119,543–$152,749 per year, plus potential stock options and/or long-term cash awards.

Company

hirify.global develops commercial space infrastructure, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing systems, reentry capsules, heat shields, satellite buses, and associated production and test equipment.

What you will do

• Design, build, maintain, and commission ground support equipment and test systems for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing.
• Integrate thermal vacuum chambers, ovens, chillers, pressure systems, data acquisition hardware, and precision instrumentation.
• Develop hirify.global’s internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling for evolving program requirements.
• Contribute to real-time control architecture decisions involving TwinCAT 3 PLCs and Linux-based approaches.
• Design electrical panels, wire cabinets, debug hardware, and own systems from electrical design through commissioning.
• Partner with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to deliver test infrastructure on aggressive timelines.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related technical field.
• At least 2 years of industry experience in test automation, controls, and/or industrial automation.
• Experience integrating industrial hardware through EtherCAT, Modbus TCP/RTU, RS-232/485, or similar protocols.
• Experience with a modern PLC ecosystem, ideally Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 and structured text under IEC 61131-3.
• Ability to design electrical panels, wire cabinets, debug hardware, and write control software.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States and qualify as a U.S. person for access to export-controlled technology.

Nice to have

• Advanced EtherCAT, TwinCAT 3, deterministic real-time control, and sub-millisecond cycle-time experience.
• Python orchestration, custom control frameworks, and time-series tools such as Grafana or InfluxDB.
• Aerospace, spacecraft testing, GSE development, environmental testing, or propulsion test-stand experience.
• Experience with high-pressure gas or fluid systems and safety-related control systems.

Culture & Benefits

• Fast-paced startup environment with end-to-end ownership and shifting priorities.
• Flexible PTO, 12 paid holidays, and company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• FSA and employer-matched HSA options, parental leave, wellness reimbursement, and One Medical memberships.
• 401(k) plan with a 6% immediately vested employer match and incentive equity.
• Relocation support may be available for new hires, along with daily meals, team events, and complimentary EV charging.