Senior Automation and Controls Engineer II (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, plus potential stock options and/or long-term cash awards.

Company

Varda develops commercial space infrastructure, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing systems, reentry capsules, heat shields, satellite buses, and related ground 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 the internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling.
• Evaluate PLC-based TwinCAT 3 and Linux-based approaches for high-frequency real-time control.
• Design electrical systems, build cabinets, wire panels, debug hardware, and own systems end-to-end.
• Partner with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to deliver 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, or similar industrial communication protocols.
• Experience with a modern PLC ecosystem, preferably Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 and IEC 61131-3 structured text.
• Ability to design electrical panels, wire cabinets, debug hardware, and write control software.
• U.S. work authorization and U.S. person status are required for access to export-controlled technology.

Nice to have

• Advanced EtherCAT expertise, including DC synchronization, ENI configuration, master implementation, or driver-level work.
• Experience with deterministic hard real-time control loops and sub-millisecond cycle times.
• Experience with Python orchestration, custom control frameworks, Grafana, or InfluxDB.
• Aerospace, spacecraft testing, propulsion test stand, environmental testing, or high-pressure gas and fluid systems experience.
• Experience with safety-related control systems and spacecraft qualification documentation.

Culture & Benefits

• Regular full-time employment with flexible PTO and 12 paid holidays.
• Company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance with FSA and employer-matched HSA options.
• Parental leave, family-building benefits, wellness reimbursement, and sponsored One Medical memberships.
• 401(k) plan with a 6% employer match, incentive equity, and possible relocation support.
• Daily lunch, twice-weekly dinner, team events, and complimentary EV charging.