Terrestrial Automation and Controls Engineer II (Aerospace)

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

Salary: $119,543–$152,749 per year for Engineer II, 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 test systems and ground support equipment for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing.
• Integrate thermal vacuum chambers, ovens, chillers, pressure systems, data acquisition hardware, and precision instrumentation.
• Develop Varda's internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling.
• Evaluate PLC-based TwinCAT 3 and Linux-based approaches for real-time and high-frequency control.
• 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.
• 2+ years of industry experience in test automation, controls, or industrial automation.
• Hands-on experience with EtherCAT, Modbus TCP/RTU, RS-232/485, or similar industrial communication 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 a U.S. person authorized to work in the United States and access export-controlled technology.

Nice to have

• Advanced EtherCAT, TwinCAT 3, structured text, and deterministic sub-millisecond control experience.
• Experience with Python orchestration, custom control frameworks, Grafana, or InfluxDB.
• Aerospace, spacecraft testing, GSE, environmental testing, propulsion test stands, or high-pressure gas and fluid systems experience.
• Experience with safety-related control systems and spacecraft qualification documentation.

Culture & Benefits

• Fast-paced startup environment with end-to-end ownership and shifting priorities.
• Flexible PTO, 12 paid holidays, and parental leave for regular full-time employees.
• Company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance with FSA and employer-matched HSA options.
• 401(k) plan with a 6% immediately vested employer match and incentive equity.
• Relocation support may be available for new hires.
• Daily lunch, twice-weekly dinner, team events, and complimentary EV charging.