Director of Test

Echodyne Corp•Kirkland, WA

31d

About The Position

Echodyne offers the world’s first compact solid-state true beam-steering radar for a wide range of industries and applications. Our high-performance radars work in all weather and are designed for autonomous vehicles, uncrewed aircraft & drones, and security of borders, critical infrastructure, and smart cities. The company combines the patented technology of metamaterials with powerful software to create a radar sensor with unprecedented performance at commercial price points. Echodyne offers its radars to companies working in Automotive, Transportation, Critical Infrastructure Protection, Border Security, Smart Cities, Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS), and Airspace Management including Urban Air Mobility (UTM). Echodyne is seeking a Director of Test to join our fast-growing team. At Echodyne, we believe radar makes the world safer and more secure in the age of autonomy. We are seeking an experienced Director of Test to lead the strategy, transformation, and execution of test and validation across Echodyne’s advanced radar systems, software platforms, integrated solutions, and regulatory compliance. ROLE OVERVIEW As Director of Test, you will set the vision and lead the organization responsible for verifying and certifying Echodyne’s products across their full lifecycle — from concept and design through production and deployment. You will develop a unified test strategy that seamlessly bridges hardware and software disciplines, ensuring Echodyne’s radar systems meet the highest standards of performance, reliability, and quality. You will bring deep experience in both hardware and software lifecycles, recognizing that software development is inherently agile and iterative, while hardware design is often waterfall in nature. You understand how to operate effectively in both methodologies — guiding teams through dynamic, incremental software workstreams while maintaining the rigor and predictability necessary for hardware validation. You will also play a key role in transforming and up-leveling the test organization. You’ll lead a team that spans a spectrum of skills — from highly specialized engineers who excel at precision radar test methodologies to software-oriented engineers who focus on automation, regression, and continuous integration. Your leadership will help these groups collaborate, learn from one another, and modernize the organization’s overall approach to testing, reducing time to test while improving accuracy, efficiency, and insight. Finally, you’ll promote a culture of continuous improvement, encouraging curiosity, critical thinking, and openness to change. You understand that sustainable quality comes from delivering, learning, and improving with each iteration.

Requirements

Leadership experience in test and validation of complex hardware–software integrated systems
Experience working with external test and certification laboratories
Past success leading and transforming cross-functional test organizations, integrating manual expertise and automation to achieve better speed and quality
A background in both hardware test methodologies (electrical, RF, environmental) and software verification (automation, CI/CD, regression testing)
Understanding of agile and waterfall lifecycles, with a track record of successfully managing teams operating under both paradigms
Experience with defect management, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement frameworks
Effective collaboration and communication skills
Strategic mindset with the ability to balance quality, cost, and time-to-market
Experience scaling test practices across multiple product lines and technology domains
BS degree of higher in Electrical, Computer, or Systems Engineering
5 or more years in a senior leadership capacity, managing multidisciplinary test organizations

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with radar systems, RF design, or sensing technologies
Experience implementing Design for Test / Design for Quality methodologies
Exposure to systems engineering or model-based design approaches
Experience in organizations that blend hardware and software product development and manufacturing
Experience with FCC grants and CE RED certification

Responsibilities

Define and Execute a Unified Test Strategy: Lead the vision and implementation of a comprehensive test and validation approach spanning radar hardware, embedded systems, firmware, and software applications
Manage product regulatory strategy and compliance testing for a range of geographies across the globe
Bridge Hardware and Software Methodologies: Operate effectively in both agile and waterfall environments, ensuring seamless coordination between rapid software iteration and structured hardware testing
Transform and Uplevel the Team: Modernize test practices by blending specialized expertise with automation-driven methods. Create an environment where manual and automated testing disciplines complement and accelerate one another
Champion Continuous Improvement: Foster a culture of learning, innovation, and critical evaluation — where the team regularly refines processes, tools, and techniques to increase test speed, coverage, and insight
Ensure quality while delivering velocity: Prioritize testing that drives product readiness and customer value, ensuring quality is achieved through smart investment and iterative improvement
Collaborate Across Disciplines: Work closely with Engineering, Product, Operations, and Field teams to integrate design-for-test principles, align quality goals, and maintain strong communication across the product lifecycle
Expand Test Automation and Data Analytics: Scale automation, simulation, and analytics infrastructure using modern frameworks and continuous integration pipelines
Guide Test Architecture and Tools: Oversee the strategy for test frameworks, lab infrastructure, data management, and measurement systems
Understand the Radar Ecosystem: Build and leverage your knowledge of radar technologies, sensing systems, and integration challenges to anticipate testing complexities and shape long-term validation strategies
Integrate Quality Standards Thoughtfully: Ensure compliance with relevant standards and certifications (e.g., FCC, MIL-STD, ISO) while maintaining a pragmatic focus on delivery and innovation