Senior Ground Support Mechanical Design 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. Vardas 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 Design 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.

• 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 Vardas 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

• Bachelors 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: $140333 - $179314/ 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.

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 have access to our technology without an export license.

US person means: U.S. citizen U.S. lawful permanent resident or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) (i.e. individual admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum).

E-Verify Statement

Varda Space Industries Inc. participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E-Verify program. The E-Verify program is an Internet-based employment eligibility verification system operated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Learn more about the E-Verify program.

E-Verify Notice Right To Work Notice

Varda Space Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates and employees are always evaluated based on merit qualifications and performance. We will never discriminate on the basis of race color gender national origin ethnicity veteran status disability status age sexual orientation gender identity martial status mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Required Experience:

Senior IC