Senior Terrestrial Mechanical Design & Test Engineer, Automation

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 and test equipment.

What you will do

• Design, build, maintain, and commission ground support equipment and test systems for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing operations.
• Develop data acquisition systems, propulsion test stands, fill carts, thermal control systems, PLC cabinets, and gas and liquid systems.
• Integrate mechanical, electrical, fluid, instrumentation, and industrial control systems into cohesive test platforms.
• Own test infrastructure including centrifuges, TVAC systems, propulsion stands, gas benches, water flow stands, and torch test stands.
• Deploy and make minor updates to the internal PLC framework and Beckhoff EtherCAT tooling.
• Partner with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to deliver reliable infrastructure on aggressive timelines.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related technical field.
• 5+ years of experience in mechanical design or industrial automation.
• Extensive experience with SolidWorks, NX CAD, or comparable tools.
• Experience with cabinet wiring, PLCs, harnesses, connectors, and electronic schematic design using Altium or comparable software.
• Hands-on experience with high-pressure gas or fluid systems, environmental testing, propulsion test stands, and complex multi-subsystem test infrastructure.
• Experience with industrial communication protocols such as EtherCAT, Modbus, RS-232/485, or similar, and with a modern PLC ecosystem such as Beckhoff TwinCAT 3.

Nice to have

• Aerospace experience, especially spacecraft testing or GSE development.
• Familiarity with spacecraft qualification standards and related documentation.
• Experience with safety-related control systems and safety-risk reduction.
• Programming experience in low-level firmware or Python.

Culture & Benefits

• Fast-paced startup environment with shifting priorities and end-to-end ownership.
• Systems are thoroughly documented with accessible procedures and schematics.
• Eligibility for incentives through stock options and/or long-term cash awards.
• Inclusive workplace with equal-opportunity employment practices.

Hiring process

• Employment requires lawful authorization to work in the United States.
• Due to access to export-controlled technology, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under applicable ITAR requirements.