Principal Engineer - Integration, Test, & verification
About The Position
Build and lead a cross-product integration, test, and verification capability for complex hardware/software/UAS systems. Own the integration and verification approach, test architecture, evidence quality, and escalation of unresolved defects. Work with Chief Engineers, who remain accountable for product technical integrity and readiness recommendations. The role leads risk-based integration, verification, and validation across 2–3 active product lines; develops executable test coverage and acceptance criteria from requirements, interfaces, failure modes, and operational scenarios; and coordinates integration sequencing, readiness, qualification evidence, and traceability. It also builds or strengthens test infrastructure and practices, establishes repeatable procedures and configuration controls, leads test engineering personnel, and coordinates distributed test contributors. The position reports objective verification results, anomalies, residual risks, and coverage gaps, and drives root-cause investigation and corrective-action verification. The role is based on-site at Firestorm’s headquarters in San Diego, California. Candidates may be local or open to relocating; relocation assistance may be included in the offer package where appropriate.
Requirements
- 10+ years in integration, test engineering, verification/validation, or systems test for complex hardware/software products.
- Experience leading test engineers or multidisciplinary integration/test teams and building test capability.
- Demonstrated ownership of test strategy and evidence for integrated systems through field or operational deployment.
- Practical knowledge of HIL/SIL, instrumentation, automation, test design, requirements traceability, defect management, and root-cause analysis.
- Ability to provide objective technical findings and escalate verification gaps constructively to engineering leadership.
- Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or otherwise eligible to obtain required U.S. government export-control authorizations.
Nice To Haves
- UAS, aerospace, autonomy, embedded systems, defense, or robotics verification experience.
- Experience with ground/flight testing, qualification, safety-critical interfaces, and operationally representative environments.
- Experience building test infrastructure at a startup.
- Familiarity with FMEA, fault trees, environmental/EMI qualification, and manufacturing acceptance testing.
Responsibilities
- Lead risk-based system integration, verification, and validation planning across 2–3 active product lines.
- Translate system requirements, critical interfaces, failure modes, and operational scenarios into executable test coverage and acceptance criteria.
- Coordinate integration sequencing, test readiness, qualification evidence, and verification traceability with Chief Engineers and functional teams.
- Build or strengthen SIL/HIL, automated regression, bench/lab integration, instrumentation, data capture, and representative field/flight-test practices as appropriate.
- Establish repeatable test procedures, defect tracking, reproducibility standards, and configuration control for test articles and environments.
- Lead test engineering personnel and coordinate distributed functional test contributors without duplicating existing testing teams.
- Report objective verification results, open anomalies, residual risks, and coverage gaps, and escalate unresolved concerns independently of schedule pressure.
- Drive failure analysis, root-cause investigation, corrective-action verification, and prevention of recurring integration escapes.
- Develop metrics for late-found defects, verification coverage, regression effectiveness, test reliability, and time to close critical anomalies.
Benefits
- Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision plans
- 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
- Equity grants for new hires
- Unlimited PTO
- Company holidays, including a holiday hiatus in November and December
- Generous parental leave
- Lifestyle Spending Account
- FSA, DCFSA, and HSA
- Hospital indemnity insurance
- Critical illness insurance
- Accident insurance
- Basic life/AD&D and short- and long-term disability insurance, 100% covered by Firestorm
- Option to purchase additional life insurance for the employee and family
- Free 24/7 mental health resources, including therapy
- Free legal and financial support
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Principal
Education Level
No Education Listed
