Varda Space Industries
Automation and Controls Engineer - Beckhoff & Python
About this role
Varda seeks a Hardware Automation and Controls Engineer to design and build sophisticated ground support equipment and test systems for spaceflight hardware qualification. You'll work with Beckhoff PLCs, EtherCAT, and custom in-house frameworks to create propulsion test stands, environmental chambers, and integration test systems while owning projects end-to-end from electrical design through commissioning.
What you'll do
- Design, build, and maintain test systems and ground support equipment (GSE) for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing
- Integrate with external hardware including thermal vacuum chambers, ovens, chillers, pressure systems, and precision instrumentation
- Develop and extend Varda's internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling using TwinCAT 3
- Contribute to architecture decisions on real-time control implementation and evaluate PLC-based versus Linux-based approaches
- Build and wire electrical panels and control cabinets, managing systems from design through commissioning
- Partner with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to deliver test infrastructure on aggressive timelines
What they're looking for
- Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 and structured text (IEC 61131-3)
- Industrial automation and test automation
- EtherCAT protocol integration and configuration
- Modbus, RS-232/485 serial, and industrial communication standards
- Electrical panel design and cabinet wiring
- Real-time control systems and deterministic control loops
- Python orchestration and higher-level scripting
- Data acquisition and time-series visualization tools
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Varda Space Industries
Varda Space Industries builds commercial spacecraft and orbital manufacturing systems for missions in low Earth orbit, including reentry capsules and satellite buses. The company is hiring mission operations engineers, software engineers (ground segment, flight, and embedded), and manufacturing engineers to develop mission-critical systems, operational infrastructure, and scalable production capabilities.
- Website
- varda.com
Likely interview questions
- Tell us about a complex test system or GSE you designed end-to-end—what were the key challenges and how did you solve them?
- Describe your experience with Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 and structured text. What projects have you used it for, and where did you struggle initially?