Test Engineer

Active Surfaces•Woburn, MA

10d•Onsite

About The Position

As a Test Engineer, you sit at the intersection of product and engineering — and at the intersection of testing and reliability. You own how we measure whether our solar devices work, how long they last, and whether they meet spec. Your work spans lab-scale characterization of solar cells and the reliability and qualification of large-area products. Reporting to the Founder & Chief Technology Officer (CTO), you build the test and reliability infrastructure that tells the rest of the company the truth about our products. The data you generate directly drives design decisions. Above all else, we value someone who is a quick, enthusiastic learner, creative problem solver and willing to push the bounds of what would normally be considered 'standard'. As our company quickly grows its technical capabilities, we are looking for a team member who can grow and scale with us! This role is eligible for visa sponsorship and relocation. This job will be located full-time on site in Woburn, MA at our Headquarters and Manufacturing Development site.

Requirements

One of: a B.S. with 2+ years of hands-on test engineering experience (internships and academic research count toward this), or an M.S./Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry, or a related field.
Hands-on experience designing and executing test plans, including instrumentation selection and test fixture design.
Experience testing and characterizing solar cells, semiconductor devices, or similar single-heterojunction devices (e.g., OPVs, OLEDs, TFTs, thin-film sensors) — or a strong desire to learn.
Experience with electrical and optoelectronic characterization and DAQ systems (JV/I-V, EQE, EL imaging, flash/LIV, UV-Vis, PL/PLQE, microscopy); understanding the setup and limits of these techniques is preferred.
Familiarity with reliability, environmental, and qualification test methods, and an interest in PV module standards.
Proficiency with data acquisition and analysis tools (Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, or similar).
Comfort working with high-voltage, high-temperature, or otherwise hazardous equipment, with a demonstrated safety-first mindset.
Clear technical writing and the ability to communicate findings to technical and non-technical audiences.
Extensive laboratory experience — planning and conducting experiments following proper protocols, analyzing data, and self-driving optimization.
Demonstrated ability to work with multiple materials and openness to exploring new material systems and methods.
Eager to contribute and learn in a collaborative, dynamic, and fast-paced start-up environment.
A strong, almost perfectionist attitude toward maintaining controls and reducing process variation (Six Sigma certification a plus).

Nice To Haves

Expertise in perovskite solar cells and/or organic photovoltaics (OPVs).
Experience with PV module reliability and qualification standards (IEC 61215, 61730) and accelerated aging.
Experience building automated test systems and instrument control (e.g., Keithley 2400/2600 GPIB (IEEE-488), Ethernet or USB control).
Experience using laser spectroscopy or building spectroscopic systems for studying optoelectronic materials.
Experience with cleanrooms, gloveboxes, and vacuum equipment.
Experience setting up electrical breadboard test systems.
Statistical process control, DOE, or Six Sigma methods.
Experience with prototyping hardware (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, ESP32) or PLCs using IEC 61131-3 standard languages.
Experience with mechanical design (SolidWorks, Autodesk, Onshape) and prototyping (3D printing, basic machining, or CAM) for test fixtures.
Experience with electrical layout (Altium, KiCad).
A willingness to 'tinker', or experiment to drive value and generate new ideas.

Responsibilities

Design and build test fixtures, instrumentation setups, and data acquisition systems that capture high-quality, repeatable data — from lab-scale cells to large-area modules.
Plan and execute test and characterization campaigns across solar cells and large-area products, including instrumentation selection and acceptance criteria.
Characterize devices using JV/I-V, EQE/IPCE, electroluminescence (EL) imaging, and flash/LIV testing; correlate lab-scale results with large-area product performance.
Own reliability and qualification testing — accelerated lifetime, damp heat, thermal cycling, UV and light-soak exposure — driving toward relevant PV module standards (e.g., IEC 61215 / 61730).
Develop and maintain test protocols, procedures, and reports; keep rigorous records of configurations, calibrations, and results.
Automate data acquisition and repetitive test sequences (LabVIEW, Python, or similar) to scale throughput and consistency.
Perform failure analysis and root-cause investigations; feed findings back to the engineering and manufacturing teams.
Analyze and interpret data to guide decision-making across product and engineering.
Influence hardware design for testability — flag instrumentation access and design choices that make products easier to qualify, and push back on unnecessary complexity in test setups.
Enforce and continuously improve lab safety practices for electrical, high-voltage, and environmental-chamber work.
Be data-driven and experimentally rigorous — rely on evidence, not speculation — and hold peers to the same.