Senior Terrestrial Mechanical Test Engineer, Automation

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 Mechanical Test Engineer, Automation 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.

Enable high cadence, production enabling equipment is priority #1.

Integrate mechanical, electrical, fluid, and instrumentation systems into cohesive test platforms.

Implement solutions from concept through fabrication, assembly, commissioning, and ongoing support.

Manage both rapid R&D test setups and long-term test infrastructure improvements.

Responsibilities

Design, build, and maintain test systems and ground support equipment (GSE) for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing operations including data acquisition systems (Pelican DAQ, Load cell DAQ, Accelerometer DAQ, prop test stands, fill carts), thermal control systems (chillers, heaters, Ln2), PLC cabinets, and gas/liquid systems (valves, ducers, solenoids, flowmeters).

Test infrastructure achieves >99% uptime and predictable performance.

Be the "Responsible Engineer" for test infrastructure including centrifuges, TVACs, prop test stands, prop fill carts, prop gas benches, prop water flow stands and torch test stands.

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.

Read, deploy and make minor edits to Varda's internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling to support evolving program need.

Champion sustainable engineering practices that enable new engineers to ramp quickly on the tech stack and maintain production systems reliably. All systems are thoroughly documented, with clear, accessible procedures and schematics.

Basic Qualifications

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

5+ years of industry experience in mechanical design or industrial automation.

Extensive experience using Solidworks, NX CAD or comparable.

Experience with electrical wiring for cabinets, PLCs, harnesses, connectors, etc.

Experience with Altium or comparable electronic schematic design software. We are migrating to EPLAN!

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

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

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

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.

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

Aerospace experience, particularly in spacecraft testing or GSE development.

Familiarity with spacecraft qualification standards and associated documentation requirements.

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

Programming, either low level firmware or high-level Python.

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

Intern 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 to export-controlled items, our policy is to only hire “U.S. persons” who are permitted to h