Engineer, Test & Validation

Hyliion•Cincinnati, OH

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Engineer, Test & Validation is responsible for converting engineering and customer objectives into measured and validated results on the KARNO development team. The role covers the full test cycle: defining the test, assembling and instrumenting the hardware, executing the run, reducing the data, and presenting conclusions in technical review. Work spans KARNO Power Modules and Cores, linear generator and motor dynamometers, and component and subsystem rigs, and the resulting data directly informs program decisions. Because KARNO departs from conventional reciprocating and turbine architectures, using flameless oxidation to drive sealed helium through a thermodynamic cycle with a single magnet-carrying piston per shaft on pressurized helium bearings generating native 800 VDC, no established test methodology exists for a machine of this type. This position therefore carries significant influence over the test methods, rigs, and acceptance criteria against which KARNO is validated. At Hyliion, AI is core to how we work. We equip every team member with leading AI tools and count on you to use them — to move faster, solve harder problems, and help us realize the full potential of KARNO technology for the world.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field required; equivalent hands-on test experience will be considered.
Minimum of 1 year of test and validation experience on engines, gensets, powertrains, turbomachinery, compressors, or comparable energy conversion hardware.
Demonstrated ownership of test cells, dynamometers, or development rigs across planning, setup, execution, and reporting.
Strong hands-on mechanical capability, including precision assembly, torque and fastener practice, fits and tolerances, sealing and leak checking, tube and hose fabrication, and proficiency with hand and shop tools.
Broad instrumentation experience across thermocouples and RTDs, pressure transducers, mass flow meters, load cells, strain gauges, accelerometers, LVDTs and encoders, and current and voltage measurement.
Data acquisition and test automation experience with LabVIEW, DEWESoft, HBM, Vector, CyFlex, or equivalent, including a working command of sampling rate, aliasing, filtering, and measurement uncertainty.
Electrical competence relevant to generating sets, including load banks, power analyzers, grid-following and islanded operation, DC bus architectures, and high-voltage safety practice per NFPA 70E.
Working knowledge of applicable standards and practices covering electrical systems, generation, pressure systems, lockout/tagout, gas detection, and the handling of compressed and combustible gases.
Ability to own a test campaign from planning through execution, data reduction, and reporting, working directly with hardware in the test cell.
Disciplined approach to safety that identifies hazards, engineers them out, and keeps testing on schedule.
Rigorous about data quality, able to distinguish a genuine signal from an instrumentation problem and resolve it before it reaches a report.
Self-directed in identifying the next test to run, building it, and executing it.
Ability to collaborate across mechanical, electrical, controls, software, and manufacturing disciplines.
Ability to treat failed test results as data and apply them to subsequent design and test iterations.

Nice To Haves

Automotive, aerospace, off-highway, or power generation background preferred; military or shipboard power experience preferred.
Emissions bench operation, acoustics and NVH, PLC and HMI configuration, machining or welding proficiency, hydrogen or ammonia handling, and formal DVP&R or 8D/DMAIC experience preferred.
3D CAD, NX preferred, and 2D print generation with GD&T per ASME Y14.5 for fixtures and test hardware, with sound design-for-manufacture judgment across machining, welding, and additive processes, preferred.

Responsibilities

Operate KARNO Power Modules and Cores through startup, steady-state, step-load, load-acceptance and load-rejection, endurance, thermal cycling, and fuel-switching sequences, evaluated against defined acceptance criteria including ISO 8528 performance classes and program-specific targets.
Operate and maintain linear generator and motor dynamometers, resistive and reactive load banks, and the associated power measurement chain, characterizing efficiency, force, thermal limits, and controls behavior across the operating envelope.
Commission and operate regenerator, heat exchanger, burner, seal, bearing, and pressure vessel rigs, covering flow, pressure drop, effectiveness, leak rate, durability, and life testing on the components that set KARNO's performance.
Perform mechanical assembly of test articles and rigs, including instrumentation installation and routing, harness build, gas and coolant plumbing, sensor calibration, channel checkout, and rig commissioning.
Design, procure, and fabricate fixtures, adapters, brackets, ducting, and tooling where no suitable off-the-shelf solution exists, including CAD models, drawings, and as-built documentation.
Translate engineering objectives into test plans, DVP&R entries, test matrices, instrumentation lists, run sheets, and acceptance criteria, including the hazard analysis required to release a test for execution.
Configure data acquisition and cell automation systems, select sampling rates and filtering, manage calibration and measurement uncertainty, and maintain data integrity across the full acquisition chain.
Lead teardown and root cause investigation of hardware failures and test escapes, drive corrective actions to closure with the responsible design owners, and incorporate findings into subsequent builds.
Manage cell scheduling and utilization, preventive maintenance, calibration intervals, spares and consumables, and test asset readiness.
Enforce the safety practices governing high-pressure helium, combustible fuels, elevated temperatures, and 800 VDC systems.
Publish test reports promptly following test completion, documenting calibrated channels, quantified measurement uncertainty, and results that withstand technical review.
Execute test plans on schedule, meeting acceptance criteria or clearly characterizing the failure, and maintain test cell uptime and utilization relative to program demand.
Additional duties and responsibilities as assigned, needed, or required for the business.