Test Engineer

About the Role

Aquila Technology is seeking a Test Engineer to support one of the nation's premier defense research organizations. The Test Engineer will work with a team that specializes in advanced network and communications systems development, with a focus on tactical mobile, military airborne networks of the future. The team uses a combination of technical analysis, modeling, simulation, emulation, prototype development, and flight evaluation to develop new communication systems and evaluate and predict their performance under expected conditions. This Test Engineer will be responsible for helping integrate and test software components in a testbed for space network field experimentation capabilities. This testbed consists of containers, custom programs, and graphical elements.

Clearance & Location

• Must have an active Secret clearance or higher; Top Secret highly preferred
• Must be a US Citizen
• 100% onsite in Lexington, MA (must live within 100 miles)

Responsibilities

• Integrate and test software components in a testbed for space network field experimentation capabilities
• Develop and execute test plans
• Perform regression testing and develop automated test frameworks
• Conduct API testing and integration (RESTful APIs, GRPC, YANG Models, etc.)
• Execute Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and Software-in-the-loop (SIL) testing
• Utilize packet analysis tools (Wireshark, tcpdump) for network troubleshooting
• Work with network virtualization (NFV), TCP/IP, routing protocols (BGP, OSPF), and network segmentation

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years: Version control systems (Git)
• 3+ years: Network segmentation
• 3+ years: Network virtualization (NFV) concepts
• 5+ years: TCP/IP, routing protocols (BGP, OSPF)
• 3+ years: Python
• 5+ years: Writing Scripts (e.g., PowerShell/bash)
• 5+ years: Packet analysis tools (Wireshark, tcpdump)
• 3+ years: Linux OS
• 1+ years: API Testing and Integration (RESTful APIs, GRPC, YANG Models, etc.)
• 1+ years: Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and Software-in-the-loop (SIL) testing
• 3+ years: Regression testing and automated test framework development
• 3+ years: Test plan development, execution, and documentation

Preferred Skills

• Network simulation/emulation tools
• Understanding of network orchestration and automation frameworks
• Understanding of Software-Defined Networking
• Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines
• Ansible or other configuration management tools

Benefits & Perks

• PTO: 15 days (vacation/sick)
• 10 paid holidays: 6 standard (New Year's, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas) + 4 floating holidays (prorated based on hire date)
• 1.5 paid days (12 hours) for approved volunteer work
• 1 week paid maternity/paternity LOA after 1 year of full-time employment
• Tuition & Training Reimbursement: $5K annually for pre-approved, job-related courses; eligible after 6 months; grade of "B" or better required
• 401K with Fidelity: Eligible after 90 days; company match: $1/$1 up to 3%, then $0.50/$1 for 4th and 5th%; fully vested from day one
• Cell Phone & Internet: Reimbursed up to $150 monthly for team members who work from home 2+ days per week
• Buy Your Own Device (BYOD): Up to $1,500 every 3 years for cell phones, laptops, or tablets; eligible after 6 months