Hardware Test Engineer

Applytojobs; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Remote Robotic Systems is seeking a Test Engineer, FPV Electronics to design, build, and operate automated test systems for flight controllers, motors, cameras, and power systems. You will own testing from bench characterization through production end-of-line screening and flight validation.

In this hands-on role, you will combine electronics testing, software development, and flight-test validation while collaborating with hardware, firmware, and production teams to drive reliability and

Qualifications

• Degree in electrical, computer, mechatronics or aerospace engineering, or equivalent hands-on experience.
• Strong Python skills for instrument control, test automation, and data analysis.
• Experience building automated test fixtures or test systems for electronics hardware.
• Familiarity with embedded communication buses (UART, SPI, I2C, CAN).
• Hands-on FPV experience including building, tuning, and flying quadcopters.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain automated test fixtures and RF/test benches.
• Develop Python-based test software to control equipment and analyze results.
• Log test data to a shared database with traceability by serial number.
• Characterize flight controllers, ESCs, motors, cameras, and power systems.
• Conduct environmental and reliability testing and report pass/fail results with margins.

Skills

Python scripting

FPV experience

Test planning

Data analysis

Hardware testing

Education

Electrical/Computer/Mechatronics/Aerospace Eng

Tools

PyVISA

pandas

NumPy

Oscilloscopes

Electronic loads

Programmable power supplies

Data acquisition

Logic analyzers

STM32

Job description

About Remote Robotic Systems

Help build and validate advanced electronics operating at the intersection of aerospace, robotics, and defence technology.

Remote Robotic Systems (RRS) is a Canadian robotics and defence-tech company helping organizations deploy enterprise-grade drones, uncrewed aircraft, robotic platforms, sensors, payloads, and remote operations technologies for mission-critical applications. Our solutions support customers across defence, public safety, security, industrial, infrastructure, energy, and government sectors.

Through our AirMetal team, we develop advanced aerospace, communications, and autonomous systems designed for demanding real-world environments.

We’re a small, fast-moving engineering team that values ownership, technical depth, practical problem solving, and the ability to turn ambitious ideas into working systems. Team members have the opportunity to contribute directly to product decisions and see their work move quickly from concept to deployment.

The Role

AirMetal is looking for a Test Engineer, FPV Electronics to develop the systems that validate the performance, reliability, and quality of our FPV and uncrewed-aircraft electronics.

You will design, build, and operate automated test systems for flight controllers, electronic speed controllers, motors, cameras, video transmitters, radio links, and power systems. You will own testing from bench characterization through production end-of-line screening and flight validation.

Your test data will help determine which components and vendors we use, which designs move into production, and where hardware or firmware changes are required. This is a hands-on role that combines electronics testing, software development, laboratory integration, production support, and flight-test validation.

What You Will Work On

Automated Test Systems

• Design, build, and maintain automated test fixtures, including bed-of-nails and pogo-pin jigs, thrust stands, dynamometers, environmental setups, and RF test benches.
• Develop test software, preferably in Python, to control test equipment, automate test sequences, and analyze results.
• Build test systems that log results to a shared database and maintain traceability by serial number.
• Integrate laboratory instruments, including oscilloscopes, electronic loads, programmable power supplies, data-acquisition systems, spectrum analyzers, thermal cameras, and load cells.
• Develop repeatable testing that allows production teams to screen units in minutes rather than hours.

Electronics and Subsystem Testing

• Test flight controllers for IMU noise, bias, vibration rejection, gyro-loop timing and jitter, sensor health, and communication-bus performance.
• Verify firmware flashing and configuration across platforms such as Betaflight, ArduPilot, PX4, and internally developed firmware.
• Characterize ESC and motor performance, including thrust, torque, RPM, efficiency, current limits, thermal behaviour, protocol conformance, telemetry accuracy, desynchronization, step response, and burn-in under load.
• Evaluate cameras and video systems for latency, low-light performance, dynamic range, image quality, and analog and digital link behaviour.
• Test RF and control links for output power, spectral compliance, receiver sensitivity, range, latency, and interference behaviour.
• Characterize batteries, regulators, and power systems for capacity, internal resistance, discharge behaviour, ripple, transient response, and brownout performance.

Testing, Validation, and Failure Analysis

• Develop test plans and procedures from product and system requirements.
• Report pass or fail results with clear supporting data and performance margins.
• Conduct environmental and reliability testing, including temperature, vibration, humidity, and accelerated stress screening.
• Qualify incoming components and vendor-supplied boards.
• Investigate hardware failures and work with suppliers on root-cause analysis and corrective action.
• Correlate bench-test data with flight logs from systems such as Blackbox, DataFlash, and ULog.
• Support outdoor flight-test campaigns and analyze results.
• Communicate failures, trends, and root-cause evidence to hardware, firmware, production, and supplier teams.

Core Requirements

• A degree in electrical, computer, mechatronics, or aerospace engineering, or equivalent demonstrated hands-on experience.
• Experience building automated test fixtures or test systems for electronics hardware.
• Strong Python skills for instrument control, test automation, and data analysis.
• Experience with tools or libraries such as PyVISA, pandas, NumPy, or similar.
• Confidence working with oscilloscopes, electronic loads, programmable power supplies, power analyzers, data-acquisition systems, and logic analyzers.
• Working knowledge of BLDC motor control, switching power electronics, and lithium battery behaviour.
• Ability to read schematics, probe circuit boards, troubleshoot failures, and document findings.
• Familiarity with embedded communication buses, including UART, SPI, I2C, and CAN.
• Experience flashing and configuring firmware on microcontrollers such as STM32.
• Ability to create clear test plans and reports that can be understood and acted on by both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Hands-on FPV experience, including building, tuning, and flying your own quadcopters.
• Ability to work on-site in Kanata, Ontario, including laboratory and outdoor flight-test work.

Applicants will be assessed primarily on what they have built, tested, and measured rather than on years of experience alone.

Nice to Have

• RF testing experience using spectrum analyzers, vector network analyzers, or comparable equipment.
• Experience with conducted and radiated power testing or receiver-sensitivity testing.
• Contributions to or deep familiarity with Betaflight, ArduPilot, PX4, or ExpressLRS.
• Experience with hardware test frameworks, continuous integration for hardware, or hardware-in-the-loop test systems.
• Familiarity with pytest, OpenHTF, or comparable test frameworks.
• Mechanical design experience using SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or Onshape.
• Experience designing and 3D-printing custom test fixtures.
• PCB design experience using KiCad or Altium.
• Familiarity with environmental and reliability standards such as MIL-STD-810 or RTCA DO-160.
• Manufacturing test experience, including end-of-line stations, yield tracking, or statistical process control.
• Experience with tactical radio systems or defence programs.
• An Advanced RPAS Pilot Certificate from Transport Canada.

What Will Make You Successful

• You trust measured data and real-world testing over assumptions.
• You enjoy building test systems, working directly with hardware, and finding the source of difficult technical failures.
• You can move comfortably between software, electronics, laboratory equipment, production systems, and flight testing.
• You bring structure and repeatability to testing that may initially be manual or undefined.
• You communicate technical findings clearly and support conclusions with evidence.
• You take ownership of problems from test definition through investigation and resolution.
• You understand that a useful test system must be accurate, maintainable, traceable, and practical for production teams to operate.
• You enjoy working in a fast-paced environment where test results directly influence product and supplier decisions.

What We Offer

• The opportunity to build test infrastructure for advanced FPV and uncrewed-aircraft electronics.
• Direct impact on component selection, product performance, production quality, and technical decision-making.
• Hands-on involvement across laboratory testing, automated systems, production screening, and flight validation.
• Exposure to robotics, aerospace, autonomy, communications, embedded hardware, and defence technologies.
• Close collaboration with hardware, firmware, manufacturing, and flight-test teams.
• A fast-paced environment where your work has a visible impact.
• Competitive compensation, benefits, and equity participation.

Employment Details

Type: Full-time

Location: On-site in Kanata, Ontario

Compensation: Competitive compensation, benefits, and equity participation, based on experience and fit for the role.

Travel: Occasional travel to test ranges, customer locations, suppliers, and field trials may be required.

This posting is for an newly-created position.

Controlled Goods and security requirements: This role involves access to controlled goods and technical data. Employment may be conditional on the successful candidate’s ability to complete the required assessments and obtain and maintain any security clearance appropriate to the work.

Field work: This role includes live outdoor flight testing in varying weather conditions.

Use of AI in hiring: We may use AI tools to help with parts of our hiring process, such as reviewing applications, screening resumes, and evaluating candidate responses. These tools support our team, but people make all hiring decisions. AI is used to assist, not replace, human judgment.

Remote Robotic Systems is an equal opportunity employer. If you require accommodation during the recruitment process, please let us know.