Senior Controls and Automation Software 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 As a Senior Controls & Automation Software Engineer at Varda, you'll develop our custom test infrastructure and bespoke engineering solutions for spaceflight hardware. You'll build sophisticated ground support equipment (GSE) and test systems supporting spacecraft development and manufacturing operations, working at the intersection of software, electrical, and mechanical domains. This is a hands-on engineering role on a small, growing team. You'll have significant ownership over architecture decisions and the opportunity to shape how test automation is done across the organization, from propulsion test stands to environmental qualification to spacecraft-level integration testing. Our stack includes a custom modern software-engineering-focused PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling, so you should be the kind of engineer who's energized rather than intimidated by working inside a proprietary stack. Responsibilities Design, build, and  maintain  test systems and ground support equipment for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing   Integrate with a wide range of external hardware: thermal vacuum chambers, ovens, chillers, pressure systems, data acquisition hardware, and instrumentation   Develop and extend our internal PLC framework and  EtherCAT  tooling   Contribute to architecture decisions on real-time control implementation, including evaluation of PLC-based (TwinCAT 3) vs. 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   Demonstrate sustainable engineering practices that help  onboard new engineers to the tech stack and  maintain  production systems.   Basic Qualifications BS in Electrical, Computer, Mechanical Engineering, or related field   5+ years of industry experience in test automation, controls, or industrial automation   Strong Python skills, particularly for hardware control or test automation applications   Hands-on experience integrating with industrial hardware over protocols like  EtherCAT ,  Modbus ( TCP/TRU) , serial  (RS232/485) , or similar   Experience with at least one modern PLC ecosystem, ideally Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 with structured text (IEC 61131-3) or willingness to develop deep  expertise  there   Comfort working across the stack: writing control software, designing electrical panels, wiring cabinets, debugging hardware   Ability to thrive in a fast-paced startup environment where priorities shift and  you're  expected to own problems end-to-end   Preferred Skills and Experience Experience working with custom or in-house control frameworks (vs. only vendor-provided stacks)   EtherCAT  experience beyond consumer-level usage — DC sync, ENI configuration, master implementation, or driver-level work   Production experience with TwinCAT 3, structured text, and the broader IEC 61131-3 languages   Experience designing deterministic, hard real-time control loops (sub-millisecond cycle times)   Understanding of when to use real-time PLC code vs. higher-level orchestration in Python — and the tradeoffs between them   Bare-metal or embedded firmware experience   Experience with Docker and DevOps tooling for test infrastructure deployment   Experience with time-series data acquisition and visualization (Grafana,  InfluxDB , or similar)   Aerospace experience, particularly spacecraft testing or GSE development   Environmental test experience: TVAC, thermal cycling, vibration   Hands-on experience with high-pressure gas or fluid systems   Experience developing propulsion test stands or other complex test infrastructure   Familiarity with spacecraft qualification standards   Experience developing safety- related control   systems  and evaluating proposed solutions for reducing safety-related risks.   Pay Range Salary range: $169,000.00 - $216,00.00 annually 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 Varda offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support health, financial well‑being, and