What are the responsibilities and job description for the Test Engineer position at Viasat and Careers?
You will provide hands-on engineering support to diagnose and resolve complex performance anomalies—such as thermal, vibration, and vacuum issues—while leading a team of technicians and junior engineers toward consistent testing excellence. Beyond technical troubleshooting, you will collaborate with contract manufacturers to maintain specialized equipment, optimize testing lifecycles, and advocate for the resources needed to ensure the timely delivery of flight-ready modules.
Provide comprehensive engineering support for the production of Viasat products, specifically focusing on space-qualified hardware.
Assist the Design and Systems Engineering teams in conducting environmental tests and analyzing performance data.
Diagnose and resolve technical issues related to environmental performance (e.g., thermal, vibration, or vacuum testing anomalies).
Collaborate with contract manufacturers to ensure all specialized test equipment is properly maintained and calibrated.
Ensuring all space hardware meets strict quality and performance benchmarks.
Provide daily guidance and technical leadership to technicians and junior test engineers to ensure consistent testing standards.
Act as the primary point of contact between the Engineering team and the production floor to streamline communication.
Identify and implement process changes to increase efficiency in the testing lifecycle.
Evaluate and advocate for necessary resource needs to ensure the timely delivery of flight-ready modules.
Work alongside manufacturing partners to identify potential production bottlenecks and develop proactive solutions.
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, or an Associate degree supplemented by equivalent professional experience.
- 4 years of experience in environmental testing, specifically including hands-on work with vibration, thermo-vacuum, and pyroshock test procedures.
- Experience in environmental testing, specifically including hands-on work with vibration, thermo-vacuum, and pyroshock test procedures.
- Success in this role requires strong mechanical engineering skills to design specialized test fixtures and the technical literacy to interpret complex environmental specifications.
- Proficiency in operating and managing specialized hardware, including vibration tables, temperature chambers, thermal vacuum (TVAC) chambers, and various data logging systems.
- Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and provide technical direction to other test engineers and technicians.
- Strong interpersonal skills are essential, with a proven ability to communicate technical data clearly in both verbal and written formats.
- US government position. US citizenship required.
- Up to 10% travel required.
- Knowledge of environmental test as it pertains to RF and electronic products.
- Ability to perform mechanical design in Solidworks, AutoCad, or related design tools.
- Strong understanding of thermodynamics and mechanical stress analysis.
Salary : $109,000 - $202,000