Lead, Test Engineering

Radiant Industries•El Segundo, CA

4d•$140,500 - $202,475•Onsite

About The Position

Radiant is seeking a Lead, Test Engineering to own the strategy, execution, and team leadership for testing Kaleidos hardware and systems. This hands-on technical leadership role directly manages test engineers and serves as the technical owner for multidisciplinary testing, including thermal, materials, structural, mechanical, and special-process testing. The role leads test development across the product and builds Radiant’s test site from the ground up. The infrastructure will support rapid design iteration and evaluation of thermal performance, material behavior, structural and mechanical response, leak integrity, and system reliability, before transitioning to acceptance testing for production units. The role works closely with design, analysis, materials, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and operations teams to ensure designs are validated, robust, and production-ready.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field, or equivalent experience.
8+ years of experience in testing, development, or validation of complex mechanical, thermal, or electromechanical systems.
Hands-on experience building and operating test setups for high-energy or high-temperature hardware.
Experience designing test instrumentation and data acquisition systems, and analyzing test data.
Experience with leak-testing methods such as helium leak detection and pressure decay, and with flow/thermal test setups.
Experience correlating test results with analytical predictions and design intent.
Demonstrated technical leadership and ability to drive complex test efforts to completion.
Strong written, verbal, and organizational skills.
Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as necessary to accomplish the mission.
Must work 100% onsite at the El Segundo headquarters.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience managing a team of test engineers or technicians.
Experience developing test facilities or test stands from the ground up, including safety reviews and hazard analysis such as JHA, HAZOP, or FMEA.
Experience with hazardous-gas handling.
Experience testing rotating turbomachinery, heat exchangers, fluid systems, mechanisms, or controls.
Experience with structural test methods, including strain gauges, load cells, and test-to-FEA correlation.
Experience with data acquisition and analysis tools such as LabVIEW, Python, MATLAB, Beckhoff hardware, or PLCs.
Familiarity with industry standards such as API, ASME, ISO, and ASTM, and measurement uncertainty practices such as ISO 17025.
Experience with pressure-vessel and pressure-system testing and safety, such as ASME BPVC.
Experience in nuclear, aerospace, defense, or other regulated, high-reliability environments.
Startup or fast-paced hardware development experience.
Prior nuclear experience is not required.

Responsibilities

Lead requirements definition, design, and implementation of test hardware, including test rigs, fixtures, instrumentation, data acquisition, controls, and support systems for components, subsystems, and integrated systems.
Build, commission, calibrate, and maintain test capabilities across thermal, materials, mechanical, structural, and leak/flow disciplines.
Establish operating procedures, safety controls, and facility readiness for high-energy, high-temperature, vacuum, pressurized, and hazardous-materials environments.
Define equipment specifications, manage vendor selection and procurement, and plan test-space layout.
Work with quality to manage calibration programs, measurement traceability, and uncertainty analysis for test equipment.
Own and lead test strategy across development, qualification, and production acceptance phases.
Define test objectives, plans, success criteria, instrumentation strategies, and data requirements for hardware and systems.
Serve as the technical authority for test methods, measurement quality, and data integrity.
Translate analytical predictions and design requirements into test campaigns that validate assumptions and retire risk.
Balance test coverage, technical risk, schedule, cost, and hardware availability to enable rapid iteration while maintaining safety and rigor.
Plan and execute development, qualification, and acceptance tests, including functional, performance, environmental, transient, off-nominal, and endurance testing.
Operate test hardware hands-on, emphasizing repeatability, data quality, and safety.
Analyze test data to assess system performance, thermal and mechanical behavior, and reliability.
Compare test results with analytical predictions and work with design teams to resolve discrepancies.
Collaborate with engineers on root-cause investigations, anomaly or failure identification, and evidence-supported corrective actions.
Provide technical leadership and mentorship to test engineers and technicians while remaining hands-on and scaling testing capability, throughput, and organizational maturity.
Support hiring, onboarding, and technical development of test personnel.
Develop work estimates, test schedules, and status updates for program leadership.
Review and approve test procedures, reports, and data packages.
Establish standards for test documentation, data management, configuration control, and knowledge capture.
Help mature Radiant’s test processes, labs, and safety culture.
Partner with design and analysis engineers to ensure designs are testable and adequately validated.
Review component and system design documentation for test coverage, instrumentation, and risk.
Collaborate with manufacturing, quality, and operations teams on prototype, first-article, and production hardware testing.
Represent testing in design reviews, test readiness reviews, and technical leadership discussions.

Benefits

Substantial incentive stock plan for all full-time employees.
Medical coverage up to the base silver-level plan for employees and 50% for dependents, with plans available up to Platinum.
Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and dependents.
100% coverage of a top-tier vision plan for employees and 50% for dependents.
100% coverage of a top-tier dental plan for employees; orthodontia is extra, and dependents receive 50% coverage.
Voluntary life, accident, hospital, and critical illness coverage, plus commuter and FSA/HSA options, offered as employee-contributed benefits.
Eight weeks of paid parental leave for all parents, plus additional paid pregnancy leave for California employees.
Nuclear Engineering Certificate Program with tuition fully covered through Penn State University for eligible employees.
Daily catered lunch, free snacks, and drinks.
Flexible PTO policy.
Remote workday allocation.
Company and team-bonding events, happy hours, and in-person camaraderie.