Test Engineer, Maritime
Santa Ana · Santa Ana, CA (OC-42) · USD 129,000-171,000 · 3-7 years experience · Full-time · Posted Sep 28, 2026
At a glance
- Experience
- 3-7 years experience
- Employment
- Full-time
- Location
- Santa Ana · Santa Ana, CA (OC-42)
- Salary
- USD 129,000-171,000 · Base salary
About the role
- We are seeking a versatile Test & Evaluation Engineer to join our Maritime team in Santa Ana, CA.
- In this role, you will connect requirements and design engineering with physical execution, owning the hardware test lifecycle from initial front-end requirements ingestion through hands-on floor test execution and operational evaluations.
Responsibilities
- Ingest customer, system-level, and subsystem requirements to develop comprehensive Test & Evaluation Plans, Verification Cross Reference Matrices (VCRM), Design Verification Plans & Reports (DVP&R), and detailed standard operating procedures.
- Own HITL test architectures, test plan generation, and execution across major assets, validating system sequencing, sensor and actuator response, and fault modes under real-world operating conditions.
- Design, build, and oversee high-pressure hydrostatic proof, burst, and cyclic pressure test setups for mission-critical subsea hardware and pressure-boundary structures.
- Design, fabricate, and validate specialized test fixtures, mechanical rigs, and electrical ground support equipment to capture critical performance metrics.
- Lead hands-on integration, functional testing, environmental validation, and troubleshooting on the production floor and during operational and on-water trials.
- Select, calibrate, and install instrumentation to acquire, process, and troubleshoot empirical test data against system-level performance targets.
- Lead investigations into hardware and system anomalies, executing root-cause failure analyses and driving corrective design and process actions.
- Partner with internal facilities and external ISO/IEC 17025 accredited mechanical and calibration testing laboratories to scope, schedule, instrument, and conduct complex environmental and structural test plans.
- Serve as the technical face of test integration across engineering, manufacturing, and program operations, interfacing directly with hardware suppliers and leading technical briefs.
- Serve as a technical anchor on the floor, mentoring junior engineers and technicians, and helping shape the standards and cadence of the growing test and evaluation team.
Requirements
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Marine Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related technical discipline.
- 3–7+ years of experience spanning test engineering, integration, and operational evaluation of complex systems.
- Demonstrated ability to navigate the full test lifecycle: ingesting front-end engineering requirements, defining test methodologies, building test rigs, and managing test execution.
- Hands-on proficiency with mechanical/electrical instrumentation, sensor integration, wiring harnesses, and data acquisition tools.
- Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities.
- Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance.
Preferred qualifications
- Background in aerospace flight test, ground operations, or prime defense contractor test environments applying rigorous qualification standards.
- Familiarity with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools and digital thread traceability platforms.
- Proficiency with 3D CAD tools and experience scripting automated test sequences and data processing routines.
- Demonstrated track record or ambition to mentor engineers and technicians and grow into a technical or people leadership role.
- Active U.S. DoD Secret or Top Secret security clearance.
Benefits
- Highly competitive equity grants
- Top-tier benefits for full-time employees supporting health, recovery, and wellness
Skills
- Python
- MATLAB
- LabVIEW
- SolidWorks
- Fusion 360
- NX
- Cameo
- Teamcenter
- Jama
- Moog Actuation Systems
