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Varda Space

In-orbit manufacturing with reentry return services

Senior Mechanical Design Engineer - Support Equipment

Design EngineeringPosted on Nov 13
Full-timeEl Segundo, CA, USA

About the Job

Requirements

  • A bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related technical field is required.
  • At least 5 years of industry experience in mechanical design or industrial automation is required.
  • Extensive experience using SolidWorks, NX CAD, or comparable software is required.
  • Experience with electrical wiring for cabinets, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), harnesses, and connectors is required.
  • Experience with Altium or comparable electronic schematic design software is required.
  • Hands-on experience with high-pressure gas or fluid systems is required.
  • Environmental test experience, including thermal vacuum testing (TVAC), thermal cycling, and vibration testing, is required.
  • Experience developing propulsion test stands or other complex, multi-subsystem test infrastructure is required.
  • Hands-on experience integrating industrial hardware over protocols such as EtherCAT, Modbus (TCP/RTU), RS-232/485 serial, or similar communication standards is required.
  • Experience with at least one modern PLC ecosystem is required; Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 with structured text (IEC 61131-3) is preferred, or demonstrated eagerness to develop deep expertise in that ecosystem.
  • The ability to thrive in a fast-paced startup environment with shifting priorities and end-to-end ownership of problems is required.

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, and accelerometer DAQ), propulsion test stands, fill carts, thermal control systems (chillers, heaters, and liquid nitrogen), PLC cabinets, and gas and liquid systems (valves, transducers, solenoids, and flowmeters).
  • Achieve more than 99% uptime and predictable performance for test infrastructure.
  • Serve as the Responsible Engineer for test infrastructure, including centrifuges, TVAC systems, propulsion test stands, propulsion fill carts, propulsion gas benches, propulsion 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, guidance, navigation, and control (GNC), and manufacturing teams to deliver test infrastructure that meets their needs on aggressive timelines.
  • Read, deploy, and make minor edits to the internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling to support evolving program needs.
  • Champion sustainable engineering practices that help new engineers ramp quickly on the technology stack and maintain production systems reliably.
  • Thoroughly document systems with clear, accessible procedures and schematics.

Desired Qualifications

  • Aerospace experience, particularly in spacecraft testing or ground support equipment development.
  • Familiarity with spacecraft qualification standards and associated documentation requirements.
  • Experience developing safety-related control systems and evaluating proposed solutions to reduce safety-related risks.
  • Programming experience in low-level firmware or high-level Python.

About the Company

Varda Space

In-orbit manufacturing with reentry return services

Varda Space Industries provides in-space manufacturing by operating production facilities in low Earth orbit and returning finished goods to Earth using reentry capsules. Clients send materials or designs to Varda’s in-orbit production line, where microgravity enables manufacturing processes not possible on Earth. After production, capsules re-enter Earth's atmosphere to deliver goods back to customers, supported by in-orbit equipment and reliable reentry systems. The company aims to make low Earth orbit accessible for multiple industries by building end-to-end space manufacturing infrastructure and industrializing orbit for commercial use.

Company size
201-500
Company stage
Series D
Total funding
$609.5M
Headquarters
El Segundo, CA
Founded
2020

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