Full-Time

Assembly & Test Engineer

Barber-Nichols

Barber-Nichols

501-1,000 employees

Designs and manufactures turbomachinery components

Compensation Overview

$95k - $115k/yr

+ 401(k) 4% company match + Profit sharing + Employee stock purchase plan + Performance-based bonus

No H1B Sponsorship

Arvada, CO, USA

In Person

Travel up to 30% of working time is required.

US Citizenship Required

Bachelor's

Category
QA & Testing (2)
,
Required Skills
Software Testing
Assembly
SolidWorks

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Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or an equivalent combination of education and experience working in a high-aptitude manufacturing environment is required.
  • Five years of related experience in a complex test environment is required.
  • Experience troubleshooting rotating equipment is required.
  • Demonstrated success with a new-product-to-production test campaign is required.
  • Experience leading test loop design efforts is required.
  • Experience creating piping and instrumentation diagrams is required.
  • Experience creating test plans is required.
  • Experience selecting components is required.
  • Experience testing to MIL-STD-810, CE, ATEX, and NASA standards is required.
  • Experience testing on a set budget with schedule as the primary driver is required.
  • Willingness to work overtime as required is required.
  • Ability to travel up to 30% of working time is required.
Responsibilities
  • Define information and processes that facilitate assembly and testing to internal and customer requirements.
  • Review standard customer and industry test requirements and develop critical assembly and test documents.
  • Generate, facilitate review of, and release instrumentation lists and parts instrumentation diagrams to ensure proper test setup.
  • Develop data acquisition plans and ensure software is configured to output test results properly.
  • Research and identify special test or assembly hardware and software needed to meet project requirements.
  • Review customer specifications and provide feedback on product testability.
  • Estimate rough-order-of-magnitude costs for requested testing.
  • Write, review, and release technical instructions for assembly and testing, including piping and instrumentation diagrams, component bills of materials, and tooling requirements.
  • Develop detailed test plans describing procedures, entry requirements, expected results, and schedules.
  • Document test results for presentation to Project Management, Engineering, and customers.
  • Troubleshoot failed or underperforming tests and determine whether conditions or processes need to be changed or redeveloped.
  • Identify daily safety, quality, delivery, and cost issues and report them in daily work status meetings.
  • Coordinate with design resources to design custom test-loop components.
  • Collaborate with Purchasing to identify, order, and receive parts and equipment from approved suppliers according to schedule requirements.
  • Coordinate with Strategic Sourcing to identify, qualify, and scope vendors for outside testing.
  • Coordinate with vendors to ensure testing lead times are met.
  • Collaborate with Engineering to ensure assembly and test work instructions, drawings, and test plans are released and accurate.
  • Verify that testing gauges and equipment are calibrated and in good condition.
  • Lead test-readiness reviews with Project Management, Engineering, Production, and Quality.
  • Plan and conduct technical and safety reviews before testing.
  • Review requirements, work instructions, and drawings with technicians to clarify questions and ensure understanding of customer requirements.
  • Conduct tests according to test plans or work with designated test personnel to execute them.
  • Oversee outside-vendor test-loop design, development, and testing to ensure requirements are met.
  • Review and verify test loops for correctness and safe operation.
  • Troubleshoot assembly issues and escalate them to Engineering and department management as required.
  • Mentor and train assembly technicians on build processes.
  • Identify and validate lessons learned with the Project Engineering group to drive continuous improvement.
  • Incorporate lessons learned into work instructions to improve product and process quality.
  • Identify safety, quality, delivery, and cost improvement opportunities in processes and products and elevate them to the Assembly and Testing Manager.
  • Provide insight to expand internal test capabilities and improve capital equipment.
  • Assist continuous-improvement teams with department improvements.
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience with recognized quality systems, including ISO, AS, QS, or TS.
  • SolidWorks design experience.
  • Vibration Institute certification.

Barber-Nichols designs and builds turbomachinery components and systems for demanding industries. Its products include custom compressors, fans, pumps, turbines, generators, motors, and controllers, tailored for aerospace, cryogenic, defense, and energy applications. BN combines engineering design, fabrication, testing, and contract manufacturing with specialized consulting to deliver turnkey solutions. The company differentiates itself by focusing on customized turbomachinery and related engineering services, backed by decades of experience since 1966 and a broad in-house capability to design, produce, and test complex hardware. BN’s goal is to provide reliable, customized machinery and engineering support that meets stringent industrial requirements.

Company Size

501-1,000

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Arvada, Colorado

Founded

1966

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • In June 2026, BN won a $136.5 million Navy Virginia-class follow-on contract.
  • BN's 2026 cryogenic test facility targets space, defense, and energy customers.
  • Graham acquired FlackTek in January 2026, widening industrial cross-sell opportunities around BN.

What critics are saying

  • Virginia-class revenue concentration ties BN to one Navy program and Pentagon budget reviews.
  • Virgin Orbit's 2023 collapse proved BN's space customers disappear suddenly, crushing backlog.
  • New facilities and Xdot integration demand flawless execution; delays hit margins and delivery dates.

What makes Barber-Nichols unique

  • Barber-Nichols designs mission-critical turbomachinery for space, defense, and cryogenic systems in Arvada.
  • Xdot Bearing Technologies gives BN patented foil-bearing capability for high-speed rotating machinery.
  • Its 2026 Florida cryogenic propellant test facility bundles testing, data acquisition, and controls.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account

Disability Insurance

Life Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

401(k) Company Match

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Paid Vacation

Paid Holidays

Parental Leave

Bereavement Leave

Tuition Reimbursement

Performance Bonus

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

24%

1 year growth

24%

2 year growth

25%
Business Wire
Feb 3rd, 2023
Barber-Nichols, A Graham Corporation Company, Ranked Among The Top 10 Of Glassdoors Best Small Medium Places To Work In 2023

BATAVIA, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Graham Corporation (NYSE: GHM) (“GHM” or “the Company”), a global leader in the design and manufacture of mission critical fluid, power, heat transfer and vacuum technologies for the defense, space, energy and process industries, today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Barber-Nichols, has made Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work in 2023, ranking 10 out of 50 in the U.S. small and medium company category. Glassdoor’s analysis is based solely on the input of employees who complete an anonymous review about their job, work environment and employer.Matt Malone, Vice President and General Manager - Barber-Nichols, commented, “We are honored to be recognized by our workforce as a great place to work. Years of attention to every comment on employee engagement surveys and taking appropriate actions to improve our business and culture is validated by this ranking. But it doesn’t stop here. We expect to further improve by providing our highly engaged workforce with the resources, professional development and culture needed to enable them to overcome the challenges posed by the complex world in which we operate

Barber-Nichols
Nov 28th, 2022
Barber-Nichols Receives Blue Origin Partnerships in Space Award | Barber-Nichols

Barber Nichols Inc. were selected for the Community Service Award in recognition of outstanding contributions to the community through impactful works of service.

Business Wire
Sep 19th, 2022
Barber-Nichols, A Graham Corporation Company, Recognized By Virgin Orbit As A Critical Supplier

BATAVIA, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Graham Corporation (NYSE: GHM), a global leader in the design and manufacture of mission-critical fluid, power, heat transfer, and vacuum technologies for the defense, space, energy, and process industries, announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Barber-Nichols, was named by Virgin Orbit as a critical supplier. “ We are honored to be recognized by Virgin Orbit for the value our solutions and engineering services add to their air-launch liquid rocket engines,” commented Matthew Malone, VP and General Manager of Barber-Nichols. “ For more than 25 years, we have been developing and providing leading technology for the space industry, which includes nearly 10 years in support of Virgin Orbit. I want to thank our employees for making this recognition possible. We look forward to growing our relationship and collaborating on driving innovative solutions well into the future.”

Oil and Gas Press
Mar 24th, 2022
Building Energy Holdings US LLC acquires Barber Nichols Inc.

Mr. Painter, Chair of the Board, commented, “With the acquisition of Barber-Nichols last summer, Building Energy Holdings US LLC expanded its experience requirements to include deeper defense industry knowledge within its mix.

Barber-Nichols
Mar 17th, 2022
Barber Nichols Inc. received award 2020 Aerospace Manufacturer of the Year Award on Mar 17th 22'.

Barber-Nichols won the prestigious and competitive 2020 Aerospace Manufacturer of the Year Award and now is vying to defend the title.