Lead Hardware Development Test Engineer

We’re ALTEN Technology USA, an engineering company helping clients bring groundbreaking ideas to life—from advancing space exploration and life-saving medical devices to building autonomous electric vehicles. With 3,000+ experts across North America, we partner with leading companies in aerospace, medical devices, robotics, automotive, commercial vehicles, EVs, rail, and more. As part of the global ALTEN Group—57,000+ engineers in 30 countries—we deliver across the entire product development cycle, from consulting to full project outsourcing.

About the role

We are seeking a highly hands-on Lead Hardware Development/Test Engineer to help build and scale a new testing function for cutting-edge autonomous robotics systems. This role is ideal for a self-driven individual who thrives in unstructured environments and is excited to bootstrap a test organization from the ground up.

Responsibilities

• Own Hardware Test Strategy
  • Define and drive the overall hardware testing roadmap for autonomous robotic systems
  • Develop test methodologies, validation plans, and test execution frameworks
• Build and Scale Test Infrastructure
  • Set up and configure testing labs, including selection of equipment and tools
  • Design and implement test environments to support development and validation
• Design Test Fixtures
  • Lead the design and development of custom test fixtures for robotics systems
  • Ensure fixtures support reliability, repeatability, and scalability in testing
• Hands-On Testing & Execution
  • Roll up your sleeves to execute hardware tests and troubleshoot issues
  • Partner with software test teams and hardware engineers to validate system performance
• Technical Leadership
  • Provide clear technical direction to hardware and software test engineers
  • Guide test teams in executing against defined strategies and best practices
  • Act as a thought leader in testing for complex electro-mechanical systems
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Work closely with mechanical, electrical, and software teams
  • Support integration of hardware and software testing processes

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field
• Strong background in mechanical and/or electrical systems (both preferred)
• Proven experience working on autonomous systems, robotics, or similar advanced hardware platforms
• Hands-on experience with:
  • Hardware validation and testing
  • Lab setup and test equipment selection
  • Designing test fixtures
• Ability to operate independently and bootstrap new processes and teams from scratch
• Strong problem-solving skills and willingness to take initiative

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with mechatronics systems (ideal)
• Background in autonomous robotics development environments
• Experience leading technical direction for test teams (without formal people management)
• Familiarity with both hardware and software testing integration

Pay

Salary Range: $140K - $180K

Drug Screening Requirement: As a federal contractor, Alten USA maintains a drug-free workplace. All candidates selected for employment will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment drug screening as a condition of hire.