Senior Test Engineer, Environmental Qualification

Curtiss-Wright•Round Rock, TX

3d•Onsite

About The Position

As a Senior Test Engineer, you will be working in the civil nuclear & aerospace industry leading the design, development, and execution of test strategies to validate products, systems, and manufacturing processes, serving as a technical authority and process leader to ensure reliable, accurate, and cost-effective testing while supporting cross-functional engineering goals, resolving performance issues, and mentoring junior test staff.

Requirements

Due to the nature of work performed at this site, incumbents must be a U.S. Person.
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Aerospace, or Nuclear) from an ABET-accredited program.
6+ years of relevant professional experience in environmental, seismic, or electromagnetic (EMC) testing and qualification of electronic and electro-mechanical devices to national and international standards.
Deep working knowledge of industry standards such as IEEE 323 and IEEE 344 (nuclear equipment qualification) as well as RTCA/DO-160 or MIL-STD-810 (aerospace environmental test standards).
Proven success designing and executing test strategies for complex electronic, mechanical, or electromechanical systems.
Proven ability to troubleshoot complex electro-mechanical hardware and measurement loops under tight timelines.
Strong understanding of test equipment, data acquisition, test software, and troubleshooting techniques.
Experience with root cause analysis, statistical testing methods, and process validation.
Proficiency in test planning, documentation, and reporting to internal and regulatory standards.
Excellent communication skills and ability to present findings to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to mentor junior engineers and lead continuous improvement in testing practices.

Nice To Haves

Registered Professional Engineer (P.E.), Certified Quality Engineer (CQE), Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE), or Project Management Professional (PMP).
Post-graduate coursework, specialized certifications, or an advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Reliability Engineering, Test Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

Responsibilities

Design comprehensive design product Verification and Validation (V&V) and Environmental Qualification (EQ) test plans and procedures specifically for sensors, transducers, electronic signal conditioners, communication devices, and related items.
Execute rigorous environmental stress test programs that simulate normal operational and accident conditions, including accelerated thermal aging, radiation aging, seismic/vibration simulation, mechanical shock, humidity, and chemical spray.
Evaluate critical measurement parameters such as accuracy, linearity, hysteresis, zero/span stability, and response time through precise pre-test, in-test, and post-test functional checkouts.
Assess signal integrity and structural survivability of sensors, transducers, electronic signal conditioners, communication devices, and related items under severe thermal and mechanical stress.
Design and build specialized mechanical test fixtures, pressure containment loops, and thermal test setups to physically stimulate and monitor field devices in simulated operational environments.
Analyze complex multi-channel data acquisition outputs, identify performance anomalies or calibration drift, and lead root-cause failure investigations when hardware falls short of qualification margins.
Author traceable Qualification Test Reports (QTRs), compliance matrices, and documentation packages that satisfy strict nuclear (e.g., 10CFR50 Appendix B, NQA-1) and aerospace & defense quality frameworks.
Collaborate closely with R&D, electrical/mechanical design teams, and quality assurance to drive design improvements that boost product robustness for harsh environments.
Perform hands-on test equipment assembly, including soldering, wiring, harnessing, Interface Test Adapter (ITA) integration, and DAQ hardware selection.
Collaborate with internal and external test facilities and laboratories to execute testing programs.
Plan and manage labor, scheduling, and equipment resources for standard and special-purpose testing.
Manage vendors and coordinate procurement, delivery, and integration of test equipment hardware.
Mentor junior engineers, contribute to process and equipment improvements, support proposal development, and drive continuous improvement initiatives such as test automation and enhanced data acquisition.
Participate in product and process design reviews.