Test Engineer - Systems/ElectricalLocationHayward, CA
About the RoleKraus Hamdani Aerospace is seeking a hands-on
Test Engineer - Systems/Electrical to support the development, integration, verification, and validation of electrical and interconnected systems across the KHA family of Ultra Long Endurance unmanned aircraft.
This is not a traditional electrical engineering role, nor is it a pure software engineering role. The ideal candidate understands how complex systems connect and interact across electrical hardware, embedded/software-controlled systems, power, communications, interfaces, sensors, and avionics.
This individual will design test approaches, develop test procedures and fixtures, evaluate system performance under realistic and stressed conditions, troubleshoot integration issues, and help determine whether systems are functioning cleanly, reliably, and as intended.
The ideal candidate is highly analytical, technically curious, and comfortable moving between hardware, software, instrumentation, and system-level problem solving.
Key ResponsibilitiesTest Engineering & Verification- Design, develop, and execute test procedures for electrical, avionics, power, communications, and integrated system functionality.
- Develop test plans, test cases, test methods, and acceptance criteria based on engineering requirements and system behavior.
- Design and support development of test fixtures, harnesses, instrumentation setups, and other test infrastructure required for repeatable and effective validation.
- Perform system-level functional, integration, performance, regression, and stress testing across prototype and production-intent hardware.
- Validate systems under expected and maximum operating conditions to identify degradation, instability, voltage drop, signal issues, performance limits, or unexpected interactions.
- Analyze test results to determine not simply whether a system works, but how well it works, how cleanly it performs, where its limitations exist, and how it behaves near operational boundaries.
- Document test configurations, procedures, results, anomalies, conclusions, and corrective actions with clear traceability.
Electrical, Power & Systems Integration- Test and evaluate electrical power requirements, distribution, loads, voltage behavior, system margins, and performance under varying operating conditions.
- Support integration and troubleshooting of avionics, power systems, sensors, payload interfaces, communications systems, and other aircraft electronics.
- Evaluate interactions between hardware, firmware, software, and connected subsystems.
- Perform hands-on troubleshooting at the component, subsystem, and system level using appropriate electrical test equipment and diagnostic tools.
- Support system bring-up, calibration, configuration, and verification of newly integrated hardware and software-controlled systems.
- Identify failure modes, isolate root causes, and work with engineering teams to implement and verify corrective actions.
Communications & Interface Testing- Evaluate and troubleshoot communication interfaces and data paths between interconnected systems.
- Work with common aerospace, automotive, embedded, or industrial communication standards and protocols such as CAN and other relevant serial or networked interfaces.
- Verify that interconnected systems communicate reliably under expected operating and performance conditions.
- Investigate communication errors, intermittent faults, timing issues, interface mismatches, and other cross-system integration problems.
Product Development & Cross-Functional Support- Work closely with electrical, software, systems, mechanical, manufacturing, and operations teams throughout the product development lifecycle.
- Translate engineering requirements and system architecture into practical test strategies.
- Provide test-driven feedback to improve design robustness, reliability, manufacturability, maintainability, and system performance.
- Support prototype builds, design changes, engineering development activities, and configuration updates.
- Help improve KHA's overall test discipline, including repeatability, documentation, test infrastructure, and verification processes.
- Take ownership of assigned test efforts and drive problems through resolution.
- Support ground testing, flight-related testing, demonstrations, and field activities when engineering test support is required.
Essential Skills & Experience- Professional experience in systems, electrical, embedded, hardware, or multidisciplinary test engineering.
- Demonstrated experience developing and executing engineering test plans, procedures, and validation activities.
- Strong understanding of how electrical hardware, software, firmware, power, communications, and connected subsystems interact at the system level.
- Experience troubleshooting integrated systems rather than working exclusively within a single engineering discipline.
- Strong electrical fundamentals, including power, voltage, current, signal integrity, wiring, connectors, sensors, and electronic interfaces.
- Experience testing system performance under load, stress, boundary, or maximum-operating conditions.
- Familiarity with communication standards and system interfaces such as CAN and other serial or embedded communications protocols.
- Experience using common electrical and electronic test equipment such as multimeters, oscilloscopes, power supplies, analyzers, or equivalent instrumentation.
- Ability to interpret engineering drawings, wiring diagrams, schematics, interface documentation, specifications, and technical requirements.
- Experience documenting test results, failures, anomalies, corrective actions, and technical findings clearly and accurately.
- Ability to independently analyze complex technical issues and determine how multiple system elements contribute to observed behavior.
- Comfortable operating in a fast-paced development environment where hardware, software, requirements, and priorities may evolve quickly.
Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent directly relevant practical experience.
- Demonstrated experience testing complex engineered systems involving a combination of hardware, software, communications, and electrical interfaces.
- Strong systems-thinking capability with the ability to understand how individual components connect and affect overall system performance.
- Ability to work directly with prototype and development hardware in a hands-on engineering environment.
- U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain a U.S. security clearance, if required for assigned programs.
- Ability and willingness to work onsite in Hayward, California.
- Ability and willingness to travel periodically to support engineering testing, flight operations, demonstrations, or other program activities.
Preferred QualificationsThe following are not required but would be advantageous:
- Experience with UAS, drones, aerospace systems, robotics, autonomous vehicles, or similarly integrated electromechanical products.
- Computer Engineering background or comparable experience working across electrical hardware and software boundaries.
- Experience with avionics, autopilots, flight controllers, embedded systems, or payload integration.
- ArduPilot or similar autopilot configuration and troubleshooting experience.
- Experience with CAN, UART, SPI, I2C, Ethernet, RS-232/422/485, or other relevant communications standards and interfaces.
- Experience designing or building test fixtures, test harnesses, automated test setups, or data-acquisition systems.
- Experience with electrical power testing, load testing, power quality, voltage-drop analysis, or system power budgeting.
- Experience with requirements verification, validation matrices, interface control documentation, or formal V&V processes.
- Experience performing root-cause analysis on complex system or electrical failures.
- Practical electrical assembly experience, including wiring, soldering, crimping, connectors, and harnesses.
- CAD, rapid prototyping, 3D printing, CNC, or other test-fixture/prototyping experience.
- Experience supporting aircraft or UAS ground testing or flight testing.
- FAA Part 107 certification.
- Model aircraft, FPV, drone, robotics, embedded electronics, or similar hands-on technical project experience.
- Military or defense aerospace experience.
Personal Attributes- Strong systems thinker who naturally looks at how everything connects.
- Hands-on, analytical, and technically curious.
- Comfortable moving between electrical hardware, software, power, communications, and test instrumentation.
- Highly detail-oriented without losing sight of overall system behavior.
- Naturally inclined to challenge assumptions and investigate why a system behaves the way it does.
- Takes ownership of problems and drives them through resolution.
- Comfortable working with incomplete information and evolving designs.
- Self-motivated and capable of operating with limited structure or direction.
- Collaborative and able to work effectively across engineering disciplines.
- Low-ego problem solver who values data, repeatability, and technical rigor.
Travel & Working Conditions- Full-time onsite position based in Hayward, California.
- Regular hands-on interaction with prototype, development, and production-intent hardware.
- Work may include engineering labs, workshops, hangars, and field-test environments.
- Periodic travel may be required to support system testing, flight testing, demonstrations, customer activities, or field operations.
What We Offer- Opportunity to work on cutting-edge UAS technology.
- Direct exposure to electrical, systems, software, integration, testing, and flight operations.
- Highly collaborative, multidisciplinary engineering environment.
- Significant opportunity for technical growth, ownership, and professional development.
- Competitive compensation and benefits package.
