Test Execution Lead

About the role

This position serves as a technical team lead and developing subject matter expert within the Hypersonic Structures department at Kratos SRE, one of the nation's leading organizations in the evaluation of thermal protection systems and refractory materials for ballistic and hypersonic applications.

Responsibilities

• Team Leadership & Talent Development — Lead, mentor, and technically supervise a team of 2–4 engineers; conduct performance evaluations, define career development plans, and build team capabilities aligned with departmental strategic needs
• Test Campaign Ownership — Plan, resource, and execute full-lifecycle test campaigns from sponsor requirements definition through post-test deliverable submission across concurrent programs in internal and external high-enthalpy facilities. Manage labor budgets associated with testing alongside the department director
• Test Preparation & Engineering Design — Lead or perform pre-test engineering activities including specimen design, multiphysics analysis, instrumentation strategy, test matrix development, and facility coordination, often in coordination with other functional groups in the department
• On-Site Test Execution Leadership — Serve as the primary engineer during on-site test events at national aerothermal facilities; exercise real-time technical authority over test conduct, safety, and data quality decisions
• Post-Test Evaluation & Technical Analysis — Lead or perform post-test data reduction, advanced material performance characterization, comparative analysis, and development of actionable recommendations for sponsors; apply and advance state-of-the-art analysis techniques (e.g., photogrammetry, advanced calorimetry, multiphysics simulation)
• Sponsor & Stakeholder Management — Serve as primary technical point of contact for a subset of the department’s sponsor base; lead program reviews, technical interchange meetings, and proposal efforts to sustain and grow the sponsor portfolio
• Cross-Team Interoperability & Department Leadership — Operate as an equal peer with other team leads; manage cross-team resourcing and personnel development; participate in department-level strategic planning, process development, capability gap assessment, and internal research planning
• Subject Matter Authority — Serve as a subject matter expert in one or more core departmental disciplines (e.g., arc jet test methodology, TPS material response, refractory material evaluation, advanced instrumentation techniques); represent the department and company externally at conferences, technical working groups, and inter-organizational forums; Author and present technical papers at relevant conferences and in peer-reviewed journals; contribute to the department's reputation as a national center of excellence in aerothermal ground testing
• Business Development & Capture — Support new business identification, white paper development, technical proposal writing, and cost estimation for new and follow-on programs

Requirements

• Minimum Qualifications
• US Citizenship
• Active US Driver’s License – Travel is required
• Ability to obtain/maintain security clearance at a level equivalent to Department of Defense (DOD) SECRET
• Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Applied Physics, or Materials Engineering with a minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience, OR a Bachelor's degree in the same fields with a minimum of seven (7) years of relevant experience (other related programs will be considered)
• Coursework or demonstrated experience in aerothermodynamics, high-enthalpy ground testing, or reacting/compressible gas dynamics
• Demonstrated experience leading a team
• Experience in technical report and proposal composition

Qualifications

• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required
• Technical Expertise - Possesses and applies professional/technical knowledge, skills, experience, and judgment to accomplish a result, serve sponsors better, and contribute to the organization’s intellectual capital
• Leadership – Ability to build, lead, and sustain high-performing engineering teams; interested in talent development and mentorship
• Planning and Organization - Systematically identifies issues to be addressed and plans a course of action for self and others to ensure the accomplishment of specific objectives; manage competing priorities across diverse research portfolio
• Communicates with Impact - Expresses thoughts and ideas effectively in individual and group situations; adjusts language to the needs of the audience. Ideas are clearly defined in grammatically correct written communication

Education and Experience

• Minimum Qualifications
• US Citizenship
• Active US Driver’s License – Travel is required
• Ability to obtain/maintain security clearance at a level equivalent to Department of Defense (DOD) SECRET
• Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Applied Physics, or Materials Engineering with a minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience, OR a Bachelor's degree in the same fields with a minimum of seven (7) years of relevant experience (other related programs will be considered)
• Coursework or demonstrated experience in aerothermodynamics, high-enthalpy ground testing, or reacting/compressible gas dynamics
• Demonstrated experience leading a team
• Experience in technical report and proposal composition