Senior/Staff Test Engineer - Battery System Integration Testing

Joby Aviation•San Carlos, CA

9d•$133,400 - $232,000

About The Position

Joby Aviation is seeking a hands-on Senior or Staff Test Engineer for the Energy Storage and Distribution System (ESDS) Test Team. The role leads battery system integration testing to verify that battery packs, the battery management system (BMS), power distribution, power conversion, and battery thermal management work together as an integrated, flight-critical energy storage system. As part of the Powertrain & Electronics Testing Team, the engineer leads system-level verification and validation in an aircraft-representative battery lab, emphasizing pack-to-aircraft interface verification, BMS functional and algorithm evaluation, fault injection and protection coordination, and mission-profile performance testing. The engineer plans and executes system-level testing, coordinates configuration-controlled test articles, and leads commissioning and maintenance of the battery lab and interfacing subsystem labs. Testing covers aircraft-representative interfaces and operating modes, charge and discharge, flight mission profiles, degraded and failure modes, and supporting characterization, environmental, and reliability tests. The position also involves analyzing electrical, thermal, and BMS telemetry; investigating anomalies; producing reports for design optimization and certification compliance; and coordinating test readiness, execution, and review. The role works closely with Design Engineers, System Engineers, DERs, Certification Engineers, and the Test Program Manager to verify ESDS requirements, prepare Qualification Test Plans and Procedures, and balance iterative R&D with formal FAA-witnessed qualification testing. It also supports incremental test automation and requires deep attention to high-voltage safety practices. The target base pay is $133,400–$232,000 per year, with compensation determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Requirements

B.S. with 8+ years of experience, M.S. with 6+ years of experience, Ph.D. with 3+ years of experience, or equivalent practical experience.
Experience with battery system or vehicle-level integration testing, including integration of packs, BMS, power electronics, and thermal management and verification across operating modes and interfaces.
Experience working with high-voltage, high-power systems, including electric vehicle or aircraft power electronics and distribution.
Knowledge of battery monitoring techniques, BMS functionality, cell and pack failure modes and mitigation, and high-voltage safety.
Practical experience with instrumentation and data acquisition for integrated system testing, including current/voltage sensing, thermocouples, isolation monitoring, and CAN or similar vehicle-bus telemetry.
Experience with environmental stress testing, including thermal and humidity cycling, vibration, and electromagnetic interference.
Strong data handling, processing, and presentation skills, problem-solving techniques, and analytical ability.
Positive attitude and willingness to work individually and as part of a team.
Ability to adapt to evolving requirements and changes in direction.

Nice To Haves

Experience with BMS hardware/software integration and functional verification, including hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing.
Experience with high-voltage lithium-ion battery systems and battery pack cycle test equipment.
Experience testing airborne hardware to DO-160, DO-311A, SAE, MIL-810, or similar standards; prior DO-160 training is a plus.
Experience commissioning or operating integrated test labs, such as battery labs, powertrain rigs, or vehicle-level test benches.
Experience with MATLAB or Python for post-processing data from equipment under test and external instrumentation.
Experience with LabView for data acquisition and test automation.
Experience with the aircraft FAA certification process.
Strong physics and/or material properties background.
M.S. in Electrical Engineering or a relevant discipline.

Responsibilities

Identify integration test objectives and collaborate with battery design, systems, powertrain, avionics, and thermal teams on system-level test matrices, instrumentation, and detailed procedures.
Coordinate configuration-controlled aircraft-representative battery packs, BMS hardware and software builds, and interfacing power distribution, conversion, and thermal management hardware.
Lead integration, commissioning, and maintenance of the aircraft-representative battery lab and interfacing subsystem labs; define test equipment requirements with Test Equipment Design Engineers.
Perform system-level ESDS integration testing across power-up and power-down sequences, charging and discharging, flight mission profiles, and degraded or failure modes, including fault injection and protection coordination.
Work with System Engineers on battery pack verification and validation, including electrical acceptance testing of aircraft-representative packs with Safety-of-Flight documentation and evaluation of BMS behavior and battery algorithm performance against requirements.
Perform supporting pack- and subsystem-level characterization, environmental, and reliability testing, including power, thermal and humidity cycling, vibration and shock, and accelerated life testing.
Debug and verify ESDS fly-by-wire network communication, including message content, timing, latency, and fault handling between battery packs/BMS and flight computers; troubleshoot interface, protocol, and system-level anomalies.
Analyze integrated electrical, thermal, and BMS telemetry; produce reports for design optimization and certification compliance; lead root-cause investigations and document findings for corrective action.
Coordinate and lead test kickoff, readiness, and data review meetings; work with the Test Program Manager on planning, scheduling resources, progress reporting, documentation, and test closeout.
Work with Design Engineers, System Engineers, DERs, and Certification Engineers to verify ESDS requirements; author Qualification Test Plans and Procedures and support both R&D and formal FAA-witnessed qualification testing.
Support incremental automation of pack and BMS functional integration test setups while applying high-voltage safety, lockout/tagout, and prevention practices.
Maintain a clean workspace and inventory of tools and equipment; adapt to evolving requirements and changes in direction.