Hardware and Embedded Test Engineer

EraDrive’s goal is to revolutionize how spaceflight is done and managed through autonomy. EraDrive builds autonomy software and hardware that let spacecraft see, decide, and act with minimal human control. Our software is already flying in space, and we are growing it into a product family that covers rendezvous, in orbit inspection, and space based sensing. You will be one of EraDrive’s first engineering hires and a founding member of the team.

You will own the testbeds that prove our autonomy and AI-driven perception work on real hardware under real lighting, noise, and timing conditions. This role is the ground truth for whether autonomy actually works in the real world. You are not a support function – you define reality for the rest of the stack. From optical stimulators and cameras to embedded processors and robotic testbeds, you will be the person who makes our software see the world as it will look in orbit.

What you will do

• Own setup and operation of optical stimulation and hardware in the loop testbeds used to validate image processing, optical navigation, and AI/ML-based perception algorithms
• Integrate and bring up cameras, star trackers, crosslink radios, and flight-like processors, including cabling, configuration, and diagnostics
• Develop and maintain embedded software in C or C for sensor interfaces, timing, data capture, and test automation
• Design and run repeatable test campaigns, including calibration procedures, performance sweeps, and long duration robustness tests for both classical and learned components
• Build tools for logging, replay, and analysis of test data, working closely with autonomy and software engineers to diagnose issues in perception and navigation
• Maintain the reliability and safety of lab setups, including documentation, checklists, and basic hardware maintenance
• Feed real world findings back into the design of algorithms, AI/ML models, and software architectures so the full stack reflects hardware realities

What you bring

• Hands on experience with embedded systems or robotics, including sensor bring up and low level software
• Proficiency in C or C , with a focus on deterministic, timing aware code
• Comfort working with lab equipment, such as power supplies, oscilloscopes, camera mounts, and motion rigs
• Experience setting up or operating hardware in the loop or system level test environments
• Strong debugging instincts across hardware, firmware, and software boundaries
• Clear communication and documentation habits, so others can rely on your setups

Bonus

• Experience with optical test setups, camera calibration, or photometric calibration
• Experience with the design and characterization of optical imaging systems
• Experience deploying or testing ML models on embedded or GPU-equipped edge devices
• Experience in implementing networked systems consisting of multiple discrete agents
• Basic mechanical design skills, for example in CAD, for fixtures and mounts
• Prior work on aerospace, automotive, or other safety critical systems