Senior Avionics Test Engineer

The future of aerospace and defense starts here. 

Ursa Major was founded to revolutionize how America and its allies access and apply high-performance propulsion, from hypersonics to solid rocket motors, satellite maneuvering and launch. We design and deliver propulsion and defense systems that solve the most urgent and critical national security demands. 

Mission-critical avionics require equally capable test systems to verify performance, reliability, and production readiness. As a Senior Electrical Hardware Test Engineer, you will design, develop, integrate, and maintain the Automated Test Equipment (ATE), Special Test Equipment (STE), and Electrical Ground Support Equipment (EGSE) used to develop, qualify, and produce advanced aerospace and defense avionics.

In this role, you will develop custom electrical test hardware including interface electronics, fixture assemblies, cable harnesses, switching networks, instrumentation interfaces, and power distribution systems that enable comprehensive testing of FPGA-based electronics, embedded systems, and avionics hardware. Working closely with Test Software Engineers, Flight Software Engineers, FPGA Engineers, and Electrical Design Engineers, you will deliver robust, reliable, and maintainable test solutions that support engineering development, qualification, environmental testing, and production acceptance.

The ideal candidate enjoys building complete test systems, integrating commercial instrumentation with custom hardware, solving complex hardware integration challenges, and enabling efficient verification of mission-critical electronics.

Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, integrate, and maintain Automated Test Equipment (ATE), Special Test Equipment (STE), or Electrical Ground Support Equipment (EGSE) for avionics development, qualification, and production.
• Design custom electrical interface hardware including signal conditioning circuits, switching networks, relay matrices, power distribution, protection circuitry, and instrumentation interfaces.
• Develop electrical schematics, cable assemblies, wiring diagrams, interface control documents, and hardware documentation supporting automated test systems.
• Select, integrate, and configure laboratory instrumentation including oscilloscopes, digital multimeters, power supplies, electronic loads, signal generators, switching systems, data acquisition hardware, and communication interfaces.
• Design and fabricate test fixtures, breakout boxes, harnesses, and adapter assemblies supporting engineering development and production test.
• Partner with Test Software Engineers to develop integrated hardware and software test solutions.
• Support Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL), qualification, environmental, and production acceptance testing activities.
• Develop test hardware capable of exercising processor-based, FPGA-based, and mixed-signal avionics assemblies.
• Troubleshoot electrical hardware, instrumentation, fixtures, and automated test systems to identify and resolve hardware integration issues.
• Perform hardware bring-up, calibration support, verification, and validation of new test equipment.
• Support root cause investigations and corrective actions for test equipment and product failures.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, and Program Management to ensure test systems meet technical, schedule, and production objectives.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives that improve test capability, reliability, maintainability, and automation.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related technical discipline.
• 5+ years of experience developing electrical test equipment, laboratory instrumentation systems, or automated hardware test solutions.
• Experience designing mixed-signal electronic circuits and printed circuit board assemblies.
• Strong understanding of analog and digital circuit design, signal integrity, power distribution, grounding, and PCB layout principles.
• Experience integrating commercial electronic instrumentation into automated test systems.
• Experience developing electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, cable assemblies, and interface documentation.
• Familiarity with common laboratory instrumentation including oscilloscopes, digital multimeters, signal generators, power supplies, electronic loads, logic analyzers, and switching systems.
• Experience troubleshooting electrical hardware and hardware/software integration issues.
• Knowledge of communication interfaces such as SPI, I²C, UART, CAN, Ethernet, USB, RS-422/485, GPIB, or PXI.
• Excellent analytical, troubleshooting, and communication skills.
• Must be a U.S. Person with the ability to perform work subject to ITAR/EAR regulations and applicable program requirements.

Desirable Experience:

• Experience developing Automated Test Equipment (ATE), Special Test Equipment (STE), Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL), or Electrical Ground Support Equipment (EGSE) for aerospace or defense systems.
• Experience supporting FPGA-based electronics, embedded systems, or mission-critical avionics hardware.
• Experience with high-reliability electronic hardware qualification, acceptance testing, and environmental testing.
• Experience designing custom interface electronics, relay switching matrices, signal conditioning circuits, and power control hardware.
• Experience using schematic capture and PCB layout tools such as Altium Designer, KiCad, Cadence Allegro, or equivalent.
• Familiarity with IPC Class 3 workmanship standards and aerospace manufacturing practices.
• Experience supporting EMI/EMC testing and hardware qualification to military or aerospace standards.
• Experience collaborating with automated test software development teams using LabVIEW, TestStand, Python, C#, or similar technologies.
• Active U.S. Department of Defense Security Clearance or the ability to obtain one.

Colorado law requires us to tell you the base compensation range of this role, which is $110,000 - $133,000, determined by your education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities. What we can’t quantify for you are the exciting challenges, supportive team, and amazing culture we enjoy. 

Classification: Full-time Exempt

Benefits Include: (Please note, Interns are not eligible for benefits)

• Unlimited PTO - Vacation, Sick, Personal, and Bereavement
• Paid Parental and Adoptive Leave
• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Tax Advantage Accounts (HSA/FSA)
• Employer Paid Short and Long Term Disability, Basic Life, AD&D
• Additional Benefit Options Including Voluntary Life and Emergency Medical Transport
• EAP Program
• Retirement Savings Plan - 401k with Company Match
• Equity Grants in the Company

How To Apply: 
Interested candidates are encouraged to apply by filling out the application below and clicking "Submit Application". This position will be posted for a minimum of 3 days and will remain open until filled or adjusted based on the volume of applicants.

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NOTE: Research suggests that women and BIPOC individuals may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who believes they have the skills and the drive necessary to succeed here to apply for this role.   Must be a U.S. Person (this includes U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents).   Eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance.    We’re an equal-opportunity employer. You will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.   No outside recruiters, please.