[{"postlocation":1,"expyears":"3+","priority":1,"IntNotes":"","relocate":0,"status":"Normal","salary":"","jobshift":"","country":"USA","joblanguage":"","aflag":1,"statusdate":"July, 08 2026 17:01:26","salaryrange":"","eeoc_job_cat":0,"fullStateName":"Michigan","cid":85347,"jobq_num":20596,"baseurl":"kratosdefense.submit4jobs.com","department":24721,"jobkeyword":"Engine Test Technician, Test Technician, Manufacturing Test Technician, Production Test Technician","JobHours":"","dname":"TDI","postingdate":"July, 01 2026 14:08:30","fullCountryName":"United States","buid":3268,"bugroupid":"","JobDisplayLang":"","degree":"","posted":0,"location":"","collegepost":0,"startdate":"","numopening":1,"state":"MI","fkcategory_id":0,"reqsexp":"
Required
High school diploma or equivalent
3+ years of experience in mechanical assembly or manufacturing
Preferred
Technical certification or vocational training in manufacturing, mechanics, or aerospace
Experience in high-mix, low-volume production environments
Military propulsion maintenance experience.
WORK ENVIRONMENT / PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
Manufacturing environment
Engine test cells
Laboratory
Outdoor testing as required
Exposure to:
High noise levels
Rotating machinery
High temperatures
Pressurized systems
Fuel and lubricants
Electrical equipment
Must be capable of standing for extended periods, bending, climbing, lifting up to 50 pounds, and wearing required personal protective equipment.
TRAVEL
0-10% travel as required to support customer testing, qualification programs, or other Kratos facilities.
THE ABOVE STATEMENTS ARE INTENDED TO DESCRIBE THE GENERAL NATURE AND LEVEL OF WORK BEING PERFORMED BY INDIVIDUALS ASSIGNED TO THIS CLASSIFICATION. THEY ARE NOT INTENDED TO BE CONSTRUED AS AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF ALL RESPONSIBILITIES, DUTIES AND SKILLS REQUIRED OF PERSONNEL SO CLASSIFIED.
A REVIEW OF THIS CLASSIFICATION HAS EXCLUDED THE MARGINAL FUNCTIONS OF THE CLASSIFICATION THAT ARE INCIDENTAL TO THE PERFORMANCE OF FUNDAMENTAL JOB JUTIES. ALL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ARE ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS AND ARE SUBJECT TO POSSIBLE MODIFICATION TO REASONABLY ACCOMMODATE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES TO PERFORM THIS JOB PROFICIENTLY. THE REQUIREMENTS LISTED IN THIS DOCUMENT ARE THE MINIMUM LEVELS OF KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS OR ABILITIES.
EEO/M/F/D/V
#LI-Onsite
","jobbenefit":"
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GENERAL JOB SUMMARY:
The Test Technician is responsible for owning the daily execution of production engine testing while supporting development, qualification, troubleshooting, acceptance, and customer test activities as required. This position serves as the primary operator and owner of TDI''s production engine test cells and is accountable for safely executing engine tests, maintaining test cell readiness, ensuring accurate data collection, verifying engine acceptance criteria, and supporting continuous improvement of production testing operations.
Reporting to the Manufacturing Manager, the Test Technician works under the technical direction of the Test Engineer for engineering and development testing while partnering closely with Manufacturing Engineering, Engineering Technicians, Product Engineering, Quality, and Engine Assembly Technicians to ensure engines are tested safely, consistently, and efficiently.
The Test Technician owns daily production test execution while the Test Engineer retains responsibility for test procedures, engineering analysis, acceptance criteria, diagnostics, and technical oversight.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Production Engine Testing
Conduct daily production acceptance testing of turbojet engines.
Perform pre-test inspections and verify engine configuration.
Install engines into production test cells.
Configure instrumentation and data acquisition equipment.
Execute approved production test procedures.
Monitor engine operating parameters throughout all phases of testing.
Perform engine startup, operational monitoring, shutdown, and post-test inspections.
Verify engine performance against established acceptance criteria.
Identify nonconforming hardware and coordinate disposition.
Prepare accepted engines for shipment or subsequent manufacturing operations.
Test Cell Ownership & Asset Management
Serve as the owner of assigned production test cell(s).
Responsibilities include:
Maintain continuous operational readiness of production test cells.
Maintain all fixtures, adapters, tooling, instrumentation, and support equipment.
Verify calibration status of sensors and instrumentation.
Coordinate calibration activities with Quality.
Maintain spare sensors, thermocouples, pressure transducers, cables, and instrumentation hardware.
Coordinate preventative maintenance activities.
Monitor consumable inventory including filters, hoses, fittings, lubricants, and fuel system components.
Maintain excellent housekeeping utilizing 5S principles.
Identify equipment reliability issues.
Recommend equipment upgrades and process improvements.
Verify equipment readiness before each production shift.
Data Collection & Documentation
Record engine performance data accurately.
Ensure complete traceability of all engine serial numbers.
Document engine configuration prior to testing.
Record all production acceptance results.
Upload electronic test records.
Document discrepancies and anomalies.
Support development of production acceptance reports.
Ensure complete and accurate test documentation before engine release.
Diagnostics & Troubleshooting
Troubleshoot engine starting issues.
Troubleshoot engine performance anomalies.
Troubleshoot instrumentation failures.
Support vibration investigations.
Assist with engine balancing activities.
Support root cause investigations.
Support corrective actions and retesting.
Escalate engineering-related issues to the Test Engineer.
Development & Engineering Support
Support engineering testing activities including:
Development testing
Qualification testing
Prototype evaluations
Design verification testing
Customer witness testing
Experimental hardware evaluations
Instrumentation installation
Engine teardown and post-test inspections
Test fixture validation
Manufacturing Support
Partner with Manufacturing by:
Providing feedback regarding assembly quality.
Identifying recurring production issues.
Supporting production launch activities.
Improving first-pass yield.
Assisting with production bottleneck reduction.
Supporting continuous improvement initiatives.
Assisting with standardized work instructions.
Supporting training of Engine Assembly Technicians on test-related requirements.
Continuous Improvement
Recommend improvements to production test procedures.
Improve test repeatability.
Improve production throughput.
Reduce test cycle time.
Reduce first-pass failures.
Improve test cell uptime.
Support Lean Manufacturing initiatives.
Support Kaizen events.
Capture lessons learned.
Improve overall production test capability.
Safety, Quality & Compliance
Operate all equipment safely.
Follow all engine test safety procedures.
Ensure compliance with AS9100 requirements.
Follow Quality Management System procedures.
Maintain safe operating conditions.
Utilize required PPE.
Support customer audits.
Support regulatory audits.
Promote a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs)
The Test Technician is accountable for the daily performance of the production test area including:
Production Performance
Daily production schedule attainment
Production throughput
On-time engine testing
First-pass test yield
Engine acceptance rate
Test cycle time
Test Cell Performance
Test cell uptime
Equipment availability
Preventative maintenance completion
Calibration compliance
Test fixture readiness
Equipment reliability
Quality & Data Integrity
Accurate production test documentation
Engine traceability
Configuration verification
Same-shift completion of test reports
Data accuracy
Discrepancy reporting
Continuous Improvement
Reduced test cycle time
Improved first-pass acceptance
Improved equipment uptime
Reduced production bottlenecks
Improved standard work
Support of Lean and 5S initiatives
DECISION AUTHORITY
The Test Technician has the authority to:
Stop testing for unsafe conditions.
Stop testing due to equipment malfunction.
Reject engines that fail acceptance criteria.
Escalate engineering issues to the Test Engineer.
Request Manufacturing support.
Recommend process improvements.
Recommend equipment repairs.
Delay engine release until all production acceptance requirements have been satisfied.
CROSS-FUNCTIONAL INTERFACE
Works closely with:
Manufacturing Manager
Test Engineer
Manufacturing Engineer
Engineering Technician
Product Engineering
Quality Engineering
Quality Inspectors
Engine Assembly Technicians
Supply Chain
Program Management
Facilities & Maintenance
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
No direct supervisory responsibility.
Provides technical assistance to Engine Assembly Technicians.
Assists in onboarding and training new Test Technicians.
Supports development of standardized work.
Serves as the production test subject matter expert for assigned test cells.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES
Strong mechanical aptitude.
Experience operating propulsion or engine test equipment.
Understanding of gas turbine engine operation.
Knowledge of instrumentation and data acquisition systems.
Ability to troubleshoot mechanical, pneumatic, fuel, lubrication, and electrical systems.
Ability to read engineering drawings, schematics, and work instructions.
Working knowledge of Microsoft Excel.
Excellent organizational skills.
Strong communication skills.
High attention to detail.
Ability to work independently while coordinating with Engineering and Manufacturing.
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced production environment.
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Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq:KTOS) is a specialized Technology Company providing mission critical products, solutions and services for United States National Security. Kratos' core capabilities are sophisticated engineering, manufacturing and system integration offerings for National Security platforms and programs. Kratos' areas of expertise include Command, Control, Communications, Computing, Combat and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) systems, satellite communications, electronic warfare, unmanned systems, hypersonic systems, directed and high power energy systems, electromagnetic railgun, missile defense, cyber warfare, cybersecurity, information assurance, and critical infrastructure security. Kratos has primarily an engineering and technically oriented work force of approximately 3,100. Substantially all of Kratos' work is performed on a military base, in a secure facility or at a critical infrastructure location.