Development Test Engineer

Key Responsibilities

• Test Design and Fabrication
• Design, fabricate, and instrument test rigs and stands for deployable mechanisms, structural test articles, and motor/actuator hardware.
• Fabricate and wire data acquisition (DAQ) systems, including sensor selection, signal conditioning, and instrumentation layout.
• Produce fabrication drawings, wiring schematics, and instrumentation lists for test equipment.
• Examine opportunities for streamlining and automating testing where necessary for acceptance testing or long term production.
• Test Operations and Data Review
• Operate test systems across development, acceptance, and qualification testing, from full-scale deployment tests down to subassembly-level characterization.
• Run test campaigns hands-on, including test article integration, activation, execution, and troubleshooting.
• Reduce and review test data, and work with design engineers to identify anomalies and root cause.
• Own the outcome, not just the execution: synthesize test results and performance trends into concrete recommendations back to design and manufacturing to mature the hardware — you're expected to catch what the data is telling you before it becomes a program problem.
• Procedures and Qualification
• Develop and write acceptance test procedures (ATPs) and qualification test plans for flight hardware and ground support equipment.
• Define qualification approaches and acceptance testing methods in coordination with responsible engineers.
• Maintain configuration control of test procedures, test data, and as-run documentation.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• 1+ years of experience in a hands-on engineering role fabricating or operating test hardware, DAQ systems, or test rigs.
• Experience developing test procedures, including acceptance test or qualification test documentation.
• Working knowledge of instrumentation and data acquisition fundamentals (sensors, signal conditioning, sampling).
• Demonstrated ability of taking project ownership and working well in small teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• ~5 years of experience in hardware development testing.
• Direct experience testing spaceflight hardware — through development, acceptance, and qualification testing.
• Direct prior experience designing, fabricating, and operating test rigs and stands for mechanisms, structural test articles, motors, or actuators, including DAQ hardware/software and common test instrumentation.
• Direct prior experience with large, lightweight deployable structure testing (gravity offload, deployment dynamics, or similar test methods).
• Demonstrated data reduction, data review and automation proficiency/capabilities.

Additional Requirements

• Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as necessary to support critical project milestones.
• Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or eligible for authorization under U.S. export regulations.

Pay Range

$100K - $160K