You will lead the test and validation function that sits at the heart of Aircapture's path from R&D to commercial technology. Owning system-level performance testing, you will define how we measure and understand our Direct Air Capture (DAC) systems, building a world-class quality and reliability capability. Performance understanding, repeatability, and reliability are not incidental concerns at Aircapture, they are central to how we learn, improve, and ultimately scale. If you are a hands-on technical leader who wants to build something lasting at a groundbreaking climate technology company, we want to hear from you. This role is onsite at our development and production facility in Berkeley, California. Salary: $190,000-205,000 per year What You'll Do Here • Own and operate test labs, developing data and reporting standards across test platforms • Lead and develop a high-performing test and reliability team, setting priorities, driving execution, and establishing best practices as Aircapture scales • Drive system-level testing of FOAK DAC prototypes, including design envelope and full performance characterization • Define and own system performance metrics, partnering cross-functionally as the authority on system performance and data interpretation • Responsible for data pipeline for test and operational data, from instrumentation to historian and analysis • Design and implement HALT/ALT testing of components and sub-systems • Build Aircapture's quality foundation including repeatability, FAT requirements, and scaling toward manufacturing • Develop data-driven reliability models, including degradation, design-life validation, predictive maintenance inputs • Translate test results into actionable feedback loops for design and operations Your Skills and Experience Include • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Physics, or a related field, Master's preferred • 8+ years in test engineering, systems testing, or experimental R&D with end-to-end ownership of hardware test programs • Experience managing and developing engineering teams, including hiring, mentoring, and driving performance in fast-paced, technical environments • Strong physics-based understanding of thermofluid and electro-mechanical systems • Proven ability to define meaningful performance metrics and build systems to measure them • Strong instrumentation and Data Acquisition expertise, coupled with advanced analytical skills and ability to work closely with data engineering • Background in quality/reliability systems, such as FAT, reliability testing, failure analysis, early-stage QMS • Self-directed and decisive in ambiguous environments; full ownership from scoping through delivery • Excellent cross-functional communicator; translates data into insight and pushes back when needed • Bonus: industrial or energy hardware, scaling test/quality functions, reliability engineering or predictive maintenance