Senior Automation and Controls Engineer (Aerospace)

Location: On-site in El Segundo, California, United States. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States and qualify as a U.S. person for access to export-controlled technology.

Salary: $140,333–$179,314 per year for the senior level, 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 related production and test equipment.

What you will do

• Design, build, maintain, and commission test systems and ground support equipment for spacecraft 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 Beckhoff EtherCAT tooling.
• Make real-time control architecture decisions, including PLC-based TwinCAT 3 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 reliable test infrastructure.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related technical field.
• 5+ 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 IEC 61131-3 structured text.
• Ability to work across electrical panel design, cabinet wiring, hardware debugging, and control software.
• U.S. work authorization and U.S.-person status are required because of ITAR and export-controlled technology access.

Nice to have

• Advanced EtherCAT, TwinCAT 3, deterministic hard real-time control, or custom control-framework experience.
• Python orchestration, Grafana, InfluxDB, or other time-series data acquisition and visualization tools.
• Aerospace, spacecraft testing, ground support equipment, propulsion test stand, environmental testing, or high-pressure gas and fluid systems experience.
• Experience with safety-related control systems, spacecraft qualification standards, and associated documentation.

Culture & Benefits

• Fast-paced startup environment with end-to-end ownership and shifting priorities.
• Flexible PTO, 12 paid holidays, and parental and family-building benefits.
• Company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance with FSA and employer-matched HSA options.
• 401(k) plan with a 6% employer match, incentive equity, and wellness reimbursement.
• Relocation support may be available for new hires, with an on-site workplace offering meals, team events, and EV charging.