B.S. or higher in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or related field
Experience running hardware test campaigns for rotating machinery or high-pressure systems
Strong mechanical and electrical hands-on skills
Knowledge of sensors, instrumentation, and data acquisition
Ability to troubleshoot across mechanical, fluid, electrical, and software interfaces
Effective communicator and natural leader with a passion for teaching
Responsibilities
Specify and establish the company's first dedicated test facility, including layout and safety systems
Design and maintain test stands and rigs for both development and production hardware
Create test plans and operating procedures to ensure safety and repeatability
Select instrumentation and develop data acquisition and storage systems
Participate in the assembly, wiring, and commissioning of the initial machine
Analyze test results and communicate findings to design and systems teams
Manage logistics for test campaigns, ensuring all necessary equipment is prepared
Benefits
Opportunity to work directly with the founding team
Hands-on role from day one with significant impact on operations
Chance to build and shape a new test program from the ground up
Engagement with multiple engineering disciplines
Potential for equity in a startup environment
Full Job Description
Senior Test Engineer - Stand Up the Test Program for MW-Class Turbine Power Systems
El Segundo, CA | On-site
Opportunity Summary
We are hiring our first dedicated test engineer to create the test program for a new class of turbine-based power systems. Working directly with the founding team, you will take an empty floor and turn it into a working test operation: specifying the facility, designing the stands that hold the hardware, writing the procedures that keep people safe, and building the data pipeline that turns every run into an engineering decision.
This role is hands-on from day one. You will be on the floor for assembly, wiring, and first spin of the initial machine, then carry what you learn into the systems and standards the team will rely on as testing scales from development units toward production.
Job Duties
Specify and stand up the company's first dedicated test facility, covering floor layout, utilities, safety systems, and the infrastructure needed for high-pressure, high-temperature hardware
Design, build, and maintain test stands, rigs, and fixtures for development units and production hardware
Author test plans, operating procedures, and methods that make every campaign safe and repeatable
Select instrumentation and build out the data acquisition, recording, and storage systems behind each test
Get hands-on during assembly, wiring, and commissioning of the first machine and its supporting stands
Process and analyze test results, then turn them into clear findings for the design, controls, and systems teams
Run test logistics so instrumentation, fixtures, spares, and consumables are ready ahead of each campaign
Work across mechanical, fluids, electrical, and software disciplines to troubleshoot hardware and close out issues quickly
Qualifications
B.S. or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline
Track record running hardware test campaigns, including commissioning rotating machinery or high-pressure, high-temperature systems
Strong hands-on skills on both the mechanical and electrical side of a test setup
Solid grounding in sensors, instrumentation, and data acquisition
Comfort working across mechanical, fluid, electrical, and software interfaces to find root causes
Clear communicator and natural leader who enjoys picking up new skills and teaching them to others
Preferred Experience
Built a test cell, lab, or full test facility starting from an empty space
Test background in rotating machinery, combustion, natural gas, cryogenic, or high-pressure and high-temperature systems
Hazard analysis and test safety work for pressurized or high-energy systems
Python, LabVIEW, cRIO, or similar DAQ and test software, plus experience organizing large test datasets
Comfortable reading and building from P&IDs
Combustion rig or burner management system experience
Instrumenting rotating machinery, such as vibration, speed, and bearing temperature measurement
