Test Engineer - Build and own the test systems that take spacecraft hardware from development through flight
Golden, Colorado | On-site
Opportunity Summary
This role will own the planning, execution, and continuous improvement of test activities across spacecraft components, subsystems, and integrated systems. You will develop test strategies, procedures, fixtures, data acquisition systems, and automation while working directly with engineering teams to validate performance and drive hardware toward flight readiness. The work spans functional, structural, environmental, and system-level testing, with significant ownership over test infrastructure, anomaly resolution, and how verification scales as the program moves toward operational systems.
About Us
We are a venture-backed space technology company developing advanced modular spacecraft systems designed to operate, connect, and reconfigure in orbit. The team is small, highly technical, and progressing from flight demonstration toward operational systems. Engineers have broad ownership and work directly on hardware that must survive demanding launch and space environments.
Job Duties
- Own test planning and execution across component, subsystem, and system-level spacecraft hardware
- Develop test plans, procedures, readiness documentation, and verification criteria with clear traceability to requirements
- Build and maintain test infrastructure including fixtures, instrumentation, data acquisition, automation, and supporting tooling
- Execute functional, structural, environmental, and performance test campaigns
- Collect, analyze, and interpret test data against defined pass/fail criteria
- Develop scripts and automation to improve test repeatability, efficiency, and data quality
- Lead anomaly investigations, root-cause analysis, and corrective-action efforts
- Partner closely with mechanical, electrical, avionics, software, systems, and manufacturing teams
- Support design reviews and serve as a technical point of contact for major test activities
- Improve test workflows to support faster hardware iteration and production readiness
- Support qualification and acceptance testing as hardware progresses toward flight
- Document test results, anomalies, and technical conclusions in clear engineering reports
- Help define the broader test strategy, standards, and processes as the program scales
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related technical discipline
- 5+ years of relevant experience for senior-level consideration
- Hands-on experience planning and executing engineering test campaigns
- Experience with functional, structural, environmental, EMI/EMC, or comparable hardware testing
- Strong understanding of how test results map back to system and subsystem requirements
- Experience with data acquisition, instrumentation, and test hardware
- Ability to analyze test data and identify hardware or system-level failure modes
- Experience with test automation or scripting using Python, LabVIEW, MATLAB, or similar tools
- Strong troubleshooting and root-cause analysis capability
- Ability to write clear technical procedures, test plans, and reports
- Comfortable working directly with hardware in a fast-moving development environment
- U.S. person status (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee) required under ITAR
Preferred Experience
- Experience with spacecraft, satellite, launch vehicle, or other flight-hardware integration and test
- Experience with environmental qualification or acceptance testing
- Familiarity with vibration, thermal-vacuum, structural, or EMI/EMC testing
- Experience with embedded systems, motor or actuator control, or sensor instrumentation
- Familiarity with MIL-STD-810, GEVS, NASA, DoD, or comparable verification standards
- Experience standing up a test lab or building test infrastructure from scratch
- Experience developing automated test systems and reusable test frameworks
- Familiarity with hardware-in-the-loop or system-level integrated testing
- Experience supporting manufacturing or production test environments
- Master's degree in engineering
- Previous experience in a startup or rapid hardware development environment
Why Join Us
- Be one of the first engineers on the manufacturing and test team and set how the company tests flight hardware
- Own test strategy and execution across spacecraft hardware from development through flight
- Build the fixtures, automation, instrumentation, and processes that make testing faster and more reliable
- Work directly across hardware, software, avionics, manufacturing, and systems engineering
- Lead anomaly investigations and have a direct impact on vehicle reliability
- Equity participation through stock options
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Short- and long-term disability insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid parental leave
- Three weeks of paid vacation
- Ten or more paid holidays annually
Compensation Details
$105,000 - $150,000 + equity
ITAR Requirement
This position requires access to technical data controlled under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Applicants must be U.S. persons (U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, refugees, or asylees) or eligible to obtain the required U.S. Department of State authorization.