Lead Test and Development Engineer

Proper Voltage•Carlsbad, CA

16h•$130,000 - $170,000

About The Position

You will lead testing and validation for Critical Power, Proper Voltage's battery backup platform for critical infrastructure: uninterruptible power for data centers, hospitals, and telecom sites where an outage is not an option. You will own how we characterize, validate, and qualify the system from cell to rack, and set the bar for when a design is ready to ship. You'll keep validation traceable to the decisions that depend on it, and hold the platform to the safety and reliability bar these applications demand. The role demands deep technical expertise and the leadership to set objectives, drive cross-functional work to completion, and make the validation call under compressed timelines and incomplete data. This is a technical leadership role, not a people management one: your judgment and experience are what ensure the right design, analysis, and test steps get done to de-risk the product. You've run lean, multidisciplinary programs end to end and know what it takes to finish one.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, a relevant field, or equivalent experience
Extensive hands-on experience in battery testing across cells, modules, or packs
Experience as the technical lead for a testing or validation effort: setting strategy, defining standards, and making the calls others build on
Experience owning test plans from concept through final report
Experience taking products from prototype design and testing into production
Demonstrated fabrication ability across lab and machine shop; be ready to walk us through something you have built
Proficiency with Python, MATLAB, or comparable tools for data analysis
Ability to stay organized and triage issues and blockers across a broad test program in a fast-paced environment

Nice To Haves

Experience with stationary energy storage, UPS, or backup power systems
Deep experience in cell and battery system characterization
CAD knowledge (Creo, SolidWorks, or Fusion 360)
Familiarity with UL 9540, UL 9540A, UL 1973, IEC 62133, UN 38.3, or comparable standards
Experience in an early-stage or R&D environment
Experience with product roadmaps and generational product development

Responsibilities

Own testing and validation for Critical Power from cell to rack, and the test program's performance against product and program requirements
Set test strategy at the system level and drive issues to resolution, from characterization through bring-up
Define and run cell-, module-, pack-, and rack-level test programs: capacity, rate capability, aging, DCIR, abuse, thermal, and EMC
Own the safety and reliability program - thermal runaway, propagation, and abuse behavior validated to the levels stationary backup installations require
Own schedule and execution across the full lifecycle - from R&D and development builds through the production ramp, and across product refreshes for new chemistries, cost reductions, and form factors
Serve as the escalation point for test-methodology and validation sign-off decisions, partnering with engineering leadership to resolve and deconflict issues
Design and build test hardware where nothing off-the-shelf fits: fixtures, enclosures, busbars, cooling setups, and one-offs up to rack scale
Turn test data into clear conclusions and recommendations that shape design, architecture, and generational platform decisions
Partner with design, systems, and production - and with third-party test houses and certification bodies - to align test scope and results to the product schedule
Maintain lab standards, calibration, and safety practice for energized cells and rack-level systems, and mentor test engineers and technicians toward greater technical ownership