Test Engineering Manager

San Diego, California – Onsite

$140,000 - $180,000

This role is for a expanding Space Sector organisation who develop critical electronics and subsystems that power space and defence platforms. With a mission is to deliver robust, dependable hardware that operates flawlessly under demanding conditions -from PCBAs and modules to box-level systems. As part of this mission, there test organisation ensures quality, reliability, and compliance across every product before deployment.

Role

They are seeking a hands-on Test Engineering Manager to lead their test engineering team and drive test strategy, execution, and automation. In this role you will:

• Lead, mentor, and manage a small but highly skilled team of test and automation engineers.
• Design, implement, and maintain comprehensive test strategies and procedures covering PCBA, subsystem, and full-system integration.
• Develop, build and maintain test racks, test harnesses, and automated test equipment (ATE).
• Define and execute environmental, stress, reliability and functional testing to validate products against specification and mission requirements.
• Work closely with design, manufacturing, quality assurance, and program stakeholders to ensure test readiness, schedule alignment, and technical compliance.
• Drive continuous improvement - enhance test coverage, reduce cycle time, optimise workflows, and evolve test infrastructure.
• Oversee test lab operations, resource allocation, equipment calibration and maintenance.
• Provide clear reporting on test status, risk assessments, and quality metrics to senior leadership.
  
  

Key Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in Electrical / Electronic / Aerospace / Systems or equivalent engineering discipline.
• Several years’ experience in hardware test engineering or test automation - ideally including PCBA, subsystem and system-level testing.
• Proven ability to build or work with test racks and automated test equipment (ATE), test harnesses, and test software/infrastructure.
• Familiarity with environmental stress testing, reliability testing, functional and integration test methodologies.
• Strong leadership, team management, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical thinking and communication skills, capable of interfacing with engineering, manufacturing, and programme management teams.
• Experience defining and driving test strategy, planning, execution, test automation, and continuous improvement.
  
  

Preferred / Nice-to-Have

• Background in aerospace, defence, space systems or high-reliability electronics.
• Experience with test automation frameworks / software, configuration management, and cross-disciplinary testing (electronics, RF, thermal, environmental).
• Hands-on understanding of schematics, electronics, PCBA, and system integration.
  
  

If you’re passionate about turning cutting-edge designs into space-ready, reliable hardware - and enjoy leading a smart, dedicated team while staying hands-on this could be your next mission.