Development Test Engineer

Northwood Space • Los Angeles, CA

1d • $100,000 - $170,000

About The Position

Northwood is seeking an engineer to build development systems that ensure hardware performs reliably from early prototypes through operations. The role owns development testing, including hardware-in-the-loop testbeds, development RF testbeds or ranges/chambers, and customer integration milestones for modem testing. It is a hands-on position at the intersection of electronics, software, and systems integration, focused on turning ambiguous problems into robust, repeatable test capabilities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• Hands-on experience in a Linux-based environment and familiarity with basic computer networking.
• Hands-on experience with electrical test equipment such as power supplies, DC loads, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and spectrum analyzers.

Nice To Haves

• Experience root-causing issues in integrated electronics, including mixed-signal, digital, or RF-adjacent systems.
• Hands-on EMC testing and troubleshooting experience, such as using near-field probes and conducting radiated emissions testing.
• Familiarity with MIL-STD-461 EMI/EMC requirements and MIL-STD-810 environmental test methods, including vibration, shock, and thermal testing.
• Experience building RF test setups for communications systems, including over-the-air and conducted testing, channel emulation, and modem or link-level performance characterization.
• Experience building hardware-in-the-loop testbeds and device simulators, and running them in automated CI environments.
• Experience designing test racks and harnessing.

Responsibilities

• Lead integrated test development from concept through operations, including test strategy, requirements, and execution plans.
• Own the path to certification for EMI/EMC and other applicable standards (e.g., MIL-STD-461, FCC/CE), including pre-compliance testing, design-for-compliance input to the hardware team, test lab coordination, and certification documentation.
• Design hardware, wiring, and electrical systems to support electrical and RF testing for development and production, including fixtures, harnesses, interfaces, and rack integration.
• Create device and subsystem simulators for hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) and integrate testbeds into the CI/CD pipeline.
• Own test maintainability and reliability across the lifecycle, defining calibration, upkeep, debugging, and continuous improvement of test assets.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level