Senior Terrestrial Automation and Controls Engineer (Aerospace)

Location: On-site in El Segundo, California, United States

Salary: $140,333–$179,314 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 related production 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.
• Contribute to 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 experience in test automation, controls, and/or industrial automation.
• Hands-on experience with EtherCAT, Modbus TCP/RTU, RS-232/485 serial, or similar industrial communication protocols.
• Experience with a modern PLC ecosystem, ideally Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 and IEC 61131-3 structured text.
• Ability to design electrical panels, wire cabinets, debug hardware, and write control software.
• Must work on-site in El Segundo, California, and be authorized to work in the United States as a qualifying U.S. person for access to export-controlled technology.

Nice to have

• Advanced EtherCAT, TwinCAT 3, structured text, and deterministic hard real-time control experience.
• Python orchestration and custom control framework development experience.
• Experience with Grafana, InfluxDB, or similar time-series data tools.
• Aerospace, spacecraft testing, GSE, environmental testing, propulsion test stand, or high-pressure fluid system 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.
• Regular full-time employees receive flexible PTO, 12 paid holidays, and company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Benefits include 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, with on-site workplace amenities including provided meals and EV charging.