Senior Reliability Test Enginner (System Level)

Title: Senior Reliability Test Engineer (System-Level)

Location: Irvine, CA (On-site – 5 Days/Week)

Company: (Aviation / Aerospace Innovation)

The Mission

Aerospace is at a turning point — costs are rising, supply chains are strained, and old ways of building can’t keep up. Our client is breaking that mold. They move fast, think big, and combine tech-startup agility with aerospace expertise to automate aircraft, design advanced propeller systems, and scale hardware at a fraction of traditional costs and timelines.

Client is looking for a Senior Reliability Test Engineer who wants to physically build out our reliability philosophy and design our early prototype validation workflows. Sitting within the hardware development team, this role is central to a fast, iterative development approach that emphasizes learning through breaking early prototypes rather than waiting for a single, delayed certification build.

⚠️ Critical Fit Note: System-Level Focus

We build and test integrated flight systems. We are not looking for component-level, semiconductor, or microchip test engineers. If your background is strictly in silicon wafer validation, microelectronics, or lithography equipment, this role will not be a fit.

We need a rugged, "builder-first" laboratory expert who has spent their career designing test fixtures and executing destructive testing on fully assembled physical systems—such as high-voltage electric vehicle battery packs, full powertrains, multi-axis robotic actuators, or large electromechanical assemblies.

Why This Role Matters

• Build the Reliability Function: As a founding senior hire, you will build a reliability philosophy from the ground up, establishing the testing workflows and infrastructure needed to support rapid hardware iteration.
• Abuse Systems Intelligently: Design and execute aggressive physical tests (vibration profiles, thermal shock, combined mechanical stress) that reveal hidden failure modes and system limitations early in development.
• Build and Rig the Lab: Take full ownership of internal lab capabilities. You will physically construct test fixtures, rig mechanical setups, program Data Acquisition (DAQ) systems, and manage laboratory data pipelines.
• Cross-Functional Ownership: Act as a driver of the work, not a passive participant. You will partner closely with mechanical, systems, and power electronics engineers to interpret test failures and directly steer the physical design of our flight hardware.

What You’ll Bring (Required)

• Experience: 8 years of hands-on experience in reliability engineering, validation testing, or system-level physical hardware testing.
• System-Level Depth: Proven track record developing and executing test strategies for complete, integrated electromechanical or high-power electrical systems (e.g., EV powertrains, full battery packs, complex motorized actuation).
• Hands-on Lab DNA: Complete comfort working on a live lab floor. Expert ability to build, modify, and wire your own custom test fixtures, setups, and sensor rigging from scratch.
• Data Automation & Tooling: Strong experience programming data acquisition equipment and automating lab workflows using tools like LabVIEW, MATLAB, or Python to capture real-time physical sensor data.
• First-Principles Mindset: Deep fundamental understanding of physical stress, mechanical dynamics, and failure mechanisms. You can easily diagnose why a physical part fractured or shorted out under load.

Preferred Qualifications (High Priority)

• Direct experience with Accelerated Life Testing (HALT/HASS), mechanical fatigue testing, thermal shock, and multi-axis vibration tables for large assemblies.
• A background coming out of Electric Vehicles (EV), Robotics, Medical Devices, or Aerospace environments where physical hardware is subjected to severe environmental stress.
• Familiarity with hardware qualification and environmental testing frameworks such as DO-160, MIL-STD-810, or automotive equivalents (ISO 26262).

Why Join Us

• True Autonomy: The opportunity to own a critical engineering vertical and shape the testing philosophy for a scaling Series C aerospace leader.
• High-Velocity Culture: Work in a fast-paced environment where your test results instantly impact design modifications and prototypes are built and broken weekly.
• Premium Benefits: Competitive negotiable base salary, 10% annual bonus, over 6,000 stock options, and 85% premium coverage for medical benefits, alongside unlimited PTO.