Full-Time

Developmental Test Environmental Test Engineer

Zone 5 Technologies

Zone 5 Technologies

201-500 employees

End-to-end UAS development for DoD

Compensation Overview

$130k - $205k/yr

San Luis Obispo, CA, USA

In Person

Category
QA & Testing (1)
Requirements
  • A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in aerospace, defense, or high-reliability systems engineering.
  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or Electrical Engineering.
  • Direct hands-on expertise in MIL-STD-810 environmental testing, with working knowledge of DO-160 and/or related military/industry standards.
  • Experience in identifying root cause failure and incorporating insights into early design phases to ensure success.
  • Solid understanding of both mechanical and electrical systems, including familiarity with power/harnessing, enclosures, and electronics packaging under extreme conditions.
  • Hands-on experience with test instrumentation, vibration tables, thermal chambers, and data collection tools.
  • Proven ability to work cross-functionally with internal engineering teams and external testing partners.
  • Experience supporting or qualifying missile systems, guided munitsions, or small aerial vehicles in Department of Defense acquisition or Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation environments.
Responsibilities
  • Develop, author, and execute detailed environmental test plans in compliance with MIL-STD-810 and related military standards.
  • Partner with design engineering teams to integrate test-derived insights into hardware architecture, material selection, and packaging to improve reliability and survivability.
  • Translate environmental qualification needs into design guidelines and drive early-phase design reviews to ensure environmental readiness.
  • Conduct and oversee testing across critical environments, including shock, vibration, temperature, humidity, rain, and sand/dust.
  • Coordinate and support EMI/EMC testing, including collaboration with external labs and internal electrical teams.
  • Lead test setup planning, including harnessing, fixturing, instrumentation, and data acquisition strategies.
  • Serve as primary technical interface for third-party test houses—coordinating logistics, validating setup integrity, and ensuring test fidelity.
  • Apply knowledge of missile systems and counter-UAS platforms to guide realistic and mission-relevant test planning.

Zone 5 Technologies designs and builds unmanned aircraft systems for the U.S. Department of Defense as a prime contractor. Its products include air-launched effects, counter-UAS interceptors, next-generation munitions, and low-cost cruise missiles. The PALADIN multi-mission UAS can autonomously intercept drones and deploy munitions, while the Open Weapon Platform provides a modular system to rapidly add new capabilities. The company focuses on vertically integrated development from concept to production and aims for digitally engineered, attritable, affordable aircraft that can scale through a DoD-approved deployment path via the DIU Blue UAS program.

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

San Luis Obispo, California

Founded

2011

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Kongsberg 90% acquisition in December 2025 expands into NATO markets.
  • DIU Blue UAS certification accelerates PALADIN adoption across DoD branches.
  • $100M+ profitable revenue in 2025 supports scalable high-volume manufacturing.

What critics are saying

  • Kongsberg redirects PALADIN and OWP to Norwegian Rusty Dagger in 3-6 months.
  • CFIUS rejects acquisition in 6-12 months, collapsing deal and blacklisting contracts.
  • Anduril's Lattice UAS captures DIU slots, eroding counter-UAS revenue in 12-18 months.

What makes Zone 5 Technologies unique

  • PALADIN UAS enables autonomous drone interception and munitions deployment.
  • Open Weapon Platform integrates third-party capabilities rapidly into weapon systems.
  • Vertically integrated from design to high-rate production of attritable aircraft.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

401(k) Company Match

Unlimited Paid Time Off

Paid Holidays

Company News

KONGSBERG
Dec 18th, 2025
KONGSBERG acquires Zone 5 and enters development and high-volume production of affordable missiles - Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (‘KONGSBERG’) has signed an agreement to acquire the California-based missile company Zone 5 Technologies LLC, which designs and produces affordable, mass producible long-range strike and anti-drone missiles. The value of the transaction is undisclosed.

Surperformance
Dec 17th, 2025
Kongsberg acquires 90% of US missile maker Zone 5 for undisclosed sum

Norwegian defence company Kongsberg Gruppen has agreed to acquire 90 percent of US-based Zone 5 Technologies, which develops and produces low-cost missiles in large volumes. The purchase price was not disclosed, and the deal requires regulatory approval. Zone 5's management will retain the remaining shares. The company generated over $100 million in sales in 2025 and is profitable. It will operate as an independent subsidiary under Kongsberg. "The acquisition of Zone 5 is an important strategic step for Kongsberg. Zone 5 is at the forefront of developing affordable missiles that can be produced in large volumes," said Geir Håøy, CEO of Kongsberg Gruppen.