Senior Test Engineer - Electronics Manufacturing

Performance Drone Works (PDW) is building the next generation of tactical robotic systems used across defense, national security, and public safety missions. We are building a new center of engineering excellence to design our new category of tactical robotic systems and the industrial capacity to deliver them, bringing decisive airpower into the hands of every operator. We are not here to make promises; we are here to deliver real systems with real capabilities for real missions.  

You will join a team of operators, engineers, and builders who solve hard problems with humility and focus. We design and produce multi-mission aerial systems that operators trust to perform in real-world conditions, reliably, repeatedly, and at scale. Our approach is grounded in operator-centered design, rapid iteration from field use, and U.S.-based manufacturing. We operate by a clear set of values: Mission First, Aim Farther, Own It, Win Together. This is how we build advantage and how we help protect our service members, our communities, and our country. 

Now, we’re entering a new phase of growth and are looking for a skilled Senior Test Engineer, Electronics Manufacturing to join our team, contributing to the next wave of system and tool development for our upcoming product lines. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in assisting in architectural design, parts selection, validation test design, overseeing hardware and software New Product Introduction enabling reliable, high-volume deployment for our advanced sUAS systems. 

What You'll Do

• The ideal candidate will thrive working in an innovative and fast-paced environment, able to problem-solve dynamically, deliver and sustain thoughtfully designed and highly adaptable and scalable systems.
• Partner with Hardware and Manufacturing Engineering to architect, design, and deploy electrical test systems for PCBAs, wiring harnesses, and subsystem-level validation in both internal production and contract manufacturing (CM) environments.
• Own the full lifecycle of test fixtures, including design, fabrication, validation, deployment, maintenance, and continuous improvement.
• Develop manufacturing test specification requirements, testing criteria, plans, and test fixtures for design verification and validation by production and contract manufacturing.
• Perform hardware design tasks such as architecture design, component selection, schematic capture, schematic review, PCBA layout, PCBA layout review, and coordination of fabrication and assembly with contract manufacturers.
• Support emplacement, qualification, usage, technical support and repair of PCBA test fixtures for Production and contract manufacturers.
• Support facilitation of outside processes for PCBA manufacturing processes including conformal coating and other forms of secondary processing.
• Support of PCBA part availability risk identification and mitigation, part obsolesce and piece-part risk purchasing program with Procurement Team.
• Work directly with the Manufacturing Team on the validation of PCBA release packages, quoting with contract manufacturers, identifying part substitutions, working with Contract Manufacturers on the quality program for those PCBAs and ensuring a stable PCBA manufacturing pipeline at the Contract Manufacturer level.
• Analyze production data to drive yield improvements, identify failure trends, and implement corrective actions to improve test system performance and reliability.
• Contribute to the development and scaling of internal hardware quality systems and test infrastructure as production volume increases.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to optimize test systems for throughput, reliability, and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).

Requirements

• Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering or related field and 8+ years of experience designing electrical test systems for production contract manufacturing environments.
• Strong experience with electronic test hardware design, including embedded systems.
• Experience developing, releasing and implementing electronic test solutions and processes including bed-of-nails, flying probe, and in-circuit test.
• Experience with microcontrollers and their bootstrapping processes (such as flashing via SWD, JTAG USB, or similar interfaces).
• Knowledge of common communication buses, such as I2C, USB, CAN, Serial, and SPI – along with their debugging and test procedures.
• Strong skills in electrical CAD software (such as Altium Designer, CircuitStudio, Cadence, etc.) performing schematic capture and PCBA layout.
• Experience with MES/PLM systems and integrating those processes into an electronics manufacturing test fixtures.
• Experience developing custom Altium jobs, draftsman fabrication, and draftsman assembly documents.
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret security clearance or higher, as required.

Preferred

• Experience with PLCs and industrial communication control systems protocols (i.e.: OPC UA, SCADA) a plus.
• Soldering experience down to imperial 0402 components and fine pitch ICs.
• Experience with MIPI-CSI, MIPI-DSI, Gigabit Ethernet and other high-speed signals along with knowledge of implementation including controlled impedance, length matching, crosstalk isolation, and other signal integrity considerations.
• Candidates with experience in UAV aircrafts, robotics development, and/or hobby drones are highly preferred.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Ability to sit, stand, bend, reach, climb, and move about regularly throughout the day and lift / carry up to 50 pounds. Must have manual dexterity to operate standard machine shop equipment as well as standard office equipment.  

Work Environment

This position typically operates in a standard office and manufacturing environment. This role requires use of standard engineering and manufacturing equipment and may require occasional travel to customer locations or facilities. This position may have exposure to outdoor weather conditions, noise, and non-climate-controlled environments. May require the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) depending on the environment. This is a fast-paced work environment and requires cross departmental collaboration with independent and team-based responsibilities. Standard works hours for this position are 8:30am-5:00pm with occasional overtime as operational needs demand. 

Benefits

PDW values our team, and we offer a compensation package reflective of your experience and capabilities. Benefits include:

• Comprehensive BCBS medical, dental, and vision coverage; 80% sponsored by the company.
• Safe Harbor 401(K) with company match.
• Paid Parental Leave.
• On-site gym at Huntsville, AL & Denver, CO locations.
• Employer provided life insurance.
• Robust Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• A work environment that encourages teamwork and innovation.
• Competitive salary, generous paid time off (PTO), and flexible leave options.

EEO Statement

PDW is an equal opportunity employer that upholds all federal and state non-discrimination laws. We ensure a fair and unbiased evaluation for employment for all qualified candidates regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, marital status, medical condition, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.