Senior Automation and Controls Engineer

About Varda

Low Earth orbit is open for business. Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, from in-orbit pharmaceutical processing to reliable and economical reentry capsules. Varda’s W-Series vehicles are built, designed, and operated by Varda in-house, including the pharmaceutical processing payloads, the capsules, the C-PICA heat shields, and the satellite buses.

From life-saving pharmaceuticals to more powerful fiber optics, there is a world of products used on Earth today that can only be manufactured in space. Varda is accelerating innovation in the orbital economy by creating both the products and infrastructure needed so space can directly benefit life on Earth. Our mission is to expand the economic bounds of humankind.

Our team is uniquely suited to accomplishing this goal, with leadership and staff comprised of veterans from SpaceX, Blue Origin, major pharmaceutical companies and Silicon Valley. Varda was founded in January 2021 by Will Bruey and Delian Asparouhov with significant backing from world class investors including Khosla Ventures, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Caffeinated Capital, General Catalyst, and Also Capital.

Varda is headquartered in El Segundo, California, where we have offices and a production facility where our vehicles, equipment, and materials are built, integrated, and tested. Varda also has offices in Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL.

Join Varda, and work to create a bustling in-space ecosystem.

About This Role

The Senior Automation and Controls Engineer builds bespoke test infrastructure that qualifies spaceflight hardware for orbit. They design, build, and own sophisticated ground support equipment (GSE) and test systems: propulsion test stands, environmental qualification chambers, spacecraft-level integration testing and more! Our stack is modern, including a custom PLC framework and Beckhoff EtherCAT tooling built in-house. They will have a meaningful impact on architecture decisions, and the chance to define standards that will outlast any single program.

Responsibilities

Design, build, and maintain test systems and ground support equipment (GSE) for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing operations.

Integrate with a wide range of external hardware, including thermal vacuum chambers, ovens, chillers, pressure systems, data acquisition hardware, and precision instrumentation.

Develop and extend Varda's internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling to support evolving program needs.

Contribute to architecture decisions on real-time control implementation, including evaluation of PLC-based (TwinCAT 3) versus Linux-based approaches for high-frequency control applications.

Build cabinets, wire panels, and own systems end-to-end from electrical design through commissioning.

Partner with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to deliver test infrastructure that meets their needs on aggressive timelines.

Champion sustainable engineering practices that enable new engineers to ramp quickly on the tech stack and maintain production systems reliably.

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, or related technical field.

5+ years of industry experience in test automation, controls, and/or industrial automation.

Hands-on experience integrating with industrial hardware over protocols such as EtherCAT, Modbus (TCP/RTU), RS-232/485 serial, or similar communication standards.

Experience with at least one modern PLC ecosystem - ideally Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 with structured text (IEC 61131-3), or a demonstrated eagerness to develop deep expertise there.

Comfort working across the full stack: designing electrical panels, wiring cabinets, debugging hardware, and writing control software.

Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced startup environment where priorities shift, and end-to-end ownership of problems is expected.

Preferred Skills and Experience

Strong intuition for when to use real-time PLC code versus higher-level Python orchestration, and a strong understanding of the tradeoff.

Experience working with custom or in-house control frameworks, rather than relying solely on vendor-provided stacks.

Advanced EtherCAT expertise - including DC sync, ENI configuration, master implementation, or driver-level work.

Production experience with TwinCAT 3, structured text, and the broader IEC 61131-3 language suite.

Experience designing deterministic, hard real-time control loops with sub-millisecond cycle times.

Familiarity with time-series data acquisition and visualization tools such as Grafana, InfluxDB, or similar platforms.

Aerospace experience, particularly in spacecraft testing or GSE development.

Environmental test experience, including TVAC, thermal cycling, and vibration testing.

Hands-on experience working with high-pressure gas or fluid systems.

Experience developing propulsion test stands or other complex, multi-subsystem test infrastructure.

Familiarity with spacecraft qualification standards and associated documentation requirements.

Experience developing safety-related control systems and evaluating proposed solutions for reducing safety-related risks.

Pay Range

Salary range: Senior: $140,333 - $179,314/ per year.

This role is on-site in El Segundo, CA.

Leveling and base salary is determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance.

You will be eligible for incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards.

Benefits

Consider your benefits covered for launch. At Varda, we invest in benefits and perks that support your health, financial well-being, and life beyond work. Benefits vary by position, with packages designed specifically for our regular full-time employees and interns.

Regular Full-Time Positions:

Health & Wellness

Flexible PTO policy + 12 paid holidays

100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options

Voluntary accident, hospital, critical illness, and pet insurance

$120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses

12 weeks of parental leave (with supplemental disability leave for CA mothers)

Family building, pregnancy, parenting and menopause benefits via Maven Clinic

Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents

Financial & Retirement

Substantial incentive equity in a fully funded space start-up

401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match (immediately vested)

$20/pay period cell phone reimbursement

Relocation support for new hires, if needed

Workplace Experience & Perks

Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly

Company and team-bonding events, happy hours and mission-success celebrations

Complimentary EV charging

Benefits for Internship Positions:

Health & Wellness

Paid observed holidays.

100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options.

$120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses.

Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents.

Financial

$20/pay period cell phone reimbursement.

Up to $4,000 gross up in relocation support, if eligible

Up to $850 commute credit through Lyft or car rental reimbursement, if eligible.

Workplace Experience & Perks

Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly

Company and team-bonding events, happy hours and mission-success celebrations

Complimentary EV charging

ITAR Requirements

Varda, like all employers, must ensure that its employees working in the United States are lawfully authorized to work in the U.S. Additionally, our employees are exposed to and have access to certain export-controlled items. Because our employees are provided access