Senior Ground Support Equipment Engineer (Python & Beckhoff)

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

Salary: $140,000–$179,000 annually, plus potential stock options and/or long-term cash awards.

Company

hirify.global develops commercial space infrastructure, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing, reentry capsules, heat shields, satellite buses, and related production and test systems.

What you will do

• Design, build, maintain, and commission ground support equipment and test systems for spacecraft qualification and manufacturing.
• Integrate thermal vacuum chambers, ovens, chillers, pressure systems, data acquisition equipment, and precision instrumentation.
• Develop hirify.global’s internal PLC framework and Beckhoff EtherCAT tooling.
• Evaluate PLC-based TwinCAT 3 and Linux-based approaches for high-frequency real-time control.
• Design electrical systems, build cabinets, wire panels, and debug hardware across the full system lifecycle.
• Partner with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to deliver reliable test infrastructure.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of industry 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 write control software, design electrical panels, wire cabinets, and debug hardware.
• Must be lawfully authorized to work in the United States and qualify as a U.S. person for access to export-controlled technology.

Nice to have

• Experience balancing real-time PLC code with higher-level Python orchestration.
• Advanced EtherCAT, TwinCAT 3, deterministic hard real-time control, or custom control-framework experience.
• Experience with Grafana, InfluxDB, aerospace, spacecraft testing, GSE development, TVAC, thermal cycling, vibration testing, or propulsion test stands.
• Experience with high-pressure gas or fluid systems, qualification standards, safety-related controls, and risk reduction.

Culture & Benefits

• 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 and caregiving benefits, wellness reimbursement, and One Medical memberships.
• 401(k) plan with a 6% immediately vested employer match, incentive equity, and cell phone reimbursement.
• Relocation support may be available for new hires.
• Daily lunch, twice-weekly dinner, team events, EV charging, and an on-site production and testing environment.