What are the responsibilities and job description for the Lead Avionics Test Engineer position at Astrolab?
Department: Avionics
Location: Hawthorne, California
Compensation: $160,000 - $240,000 / year
Astrolab is The Lunar Operations Company. We design and build the systems and hardware the lunar economy will come to depend on — rovers, power, and data networks for sustained operations on the Moon. We are focused on the problems that must be solved before the next chapter of human exploration can scale. The Moon does not forgive untested assumptions. The people who work here know that, and they wouldn't have it any other way.
The Lead Avionics Test Engineer will build and manage a team of test engineers responsible for the avionics test architecture, automated test system development, and manufacturing test infrastructure that verifies every rover avionics unit before it leaves the factory. You will define how avionics hardware gets tested at Astrolab, setting standards, shaping testable designs, and building the systems and team to execute at production scale.
What you'll do:
- Build and lead a team of avionics test engineers including hiring, setting technical direction, executing priorities, and fostering a culture of ownership, craftsmanship, and collaboration
- Own the full lifecycle of avionics unit test systems: architecture definition, rack design (DCR, PDR, CDR, TRR), implementation, validation, and production sustainment
- Partner with design teams to implement Design for Test (DFT) feedback, evaluate test coverage, and develop test plans
- Design and develop automated test systems including COTS equipment selection, custom PCBA and harness design, and test software to verify UUT functionality, exercise failure modes, and interface with production data platforms (MES and test data archive)
- Set team standards for test system development, validation, documentation, and quality in compliance with the Astrolab Software Development Process and related standards
- Root cause test anomalies and production failures, drive corrective actions to closure, and support vehicle-level failure investigations as needed
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in a science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) related field
- 5 years of experience in avionics development, hardware test, manufacturing, or test automation, including hardware and software responsibilities
- Experience leading engineers and developing automated test solutions for high-reliability electronics, including test equipment, automation software, and validation activities
- Experience designing and validating automated test racks, including custom PCBAs, signal conditioning, instrumentation selection, and wire harness design
- Experience writing test automation software using Python, C/C , LabVIEW, or similar programming languages
- Familiarity with SMC-S-016, MIL-STD-810, or other environmental testing standards, including shock, thermal, burn-in, TVAC, vibration, and EMI/EMC testing
- Experience with avionics hardware such as power electronics, motor controllers, GNC sensors, optics, RF devices, or communication interfaces including Ethernet, RS-422, RS-485, and CAN
- Experience with schematic capture, PCB layout, or wire harness design using Altium Designer or equivalent tools
- Experience with embedded software development, firmware integration, and nonconformance, MRB, or corrective action processes in a flight hardware production environment
- Join a team of best-in-class engineers building the foundation of planetary surface exploration
- Equity ownership in the company
- Comprehensive health benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and mental health support
- 401(k) plan with company match
- Flexible PTO and parental leave
- Weekly lunch stipend, plus complimentary snacks and beverages on-site
- Once a month social hour on-site with food and drinks
Salary : $160,000 - $240,000