Avionics Test Manager

Ursa Major; Longmont (CO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited PTO

Parental leave

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

HSA/FSA

Short/Long-term disability

401k with company match

Job summary

Ursa Major in Longmont, CO seeks a senior Test Engineering Lead to design, develop, and maintain automated test systems for avionics hardware. You will lead a small team, balance hands-on contributions with coaching, and coordinate across Flight Software, FPGA, Electrical Design, and Manufacturing to deliver production-ready test solutions.

The role requires deep knowledge of ATE/STE/EGSE, mixed-signal circuits, and lab instrumentation integration, with strong leadership and communication skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related technical discipline.
• 6 years of experience developing electrical test equipment and lab instrumentation systems, including ATE/STE/EGSE for complex electronics.
• Hands-on expertise in mixed-signal circuit design (analog/digital, SI, grounding, power distribution, PCB layout).
• Integrating commercial instrumentation (oscilloscopes, DMMs, power supplies, loads, signal generators, switching systems, DAQ) into automated test systems.
• Knowledge of interfaces: SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, Ethernet, USB, RS-422/485, PXI, GPIB.
• 1–3+ years in leadership roles with evidence of project delivery and team development.
• Must be a U.S. Person with ITAR/EAR compliance.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, integrate, and maintain ATE, STE, and EGSE for avionics development, qualification, and production.
• Create and review schematics, wiring diagrams, cable assemblies, interface electronics, fixtures, and harnesses for automated test systems.
• Select, integrate, and configure laboratory instrumentation and interfaces into automated test solutions.
• Support HIL, qualification, environmental, and production testing across processor-based, FPGA-based, and mixed-signal avionics.
• Troubleshoot complex hardware and hardware/software integration issues; lead bring-up, verification, and validation of new test equipment.
• Lead technical reviews, trade studies, and failure investigations related to test systems.
• Lead and mentor a small test engineering team; plan and prioritize work across programs; own schedules and risk management.
• Collaborate across departments to deliver integrated and production-ready test solutions.
• Drive root cause and corrective action for test equipment and product issues; document findings clearly.
• Establish and improve standards, processes, and metrics for test hardware design and reliability.
• Champion continuous improvement in test capability, automation, throughput; support audits and reviews.

Skills

Mixed-signal circuit design

Instrumentation integration

Hardware troubleshooting

Electrical schematics

FPGA/embedded experience

Leadership

Project planning

SPI/I2C/UART/CAN/Ethernet

LabVIEW/TestStand

ITAR/EAR compliance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related technical discipline

Tools

Altium Designer

KiCad

Cadence Allegro

LabVIEW

TestStand

Job description

Responsibilities

Technical (~50%)

Design, develop, integrate, and maintain ATE, STE, and EGSE for avionics development, qualification, and production.

Create and review schematics, wiring diagrams, cable assemblies, interface electronics, fixtures, and harnesses for automated test systems.

Select, integrate, and configure laboratory instrumentation and communication interfaces into automated test solutions.

Support HIL, qualification, environmental, and production acceptance testing by ensuring adequate coverage of processor-based, FPGA-based, and mixed‑signal avionics assemblies.

Troubleshoot complex hardware and hardware/software integration issues; lead bring‑up, verification, and validation of new test equipment.

Lead technical reviews, trade studies, and failure investigations related to test systems.

Leadership & Program Execution (~50%)

Lead and mentor a small test engineering team, balancing hands‑on contributions with coaching, task assignment, and performance feedback.

Plan and prioritize test engineering work across multiple programs; own test hardware schedules, deliverables, risk management, and status communication.

Collaborate with Test Software, Flight Software, FPGA, Electrical Design, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, and Program Management to deliver integrated and production‑ready test solutions.

Drive Root Cause & Corrective Action for test equipment and product issues and ensure clear documentation and communication of findings.

Establish and improve standards, processes, and metrics for test hardware design, documentation, configuration management, and equipment reliability.

Champion continuous improvement in test capability, automation, reuse, and throughput; support audits and reviews related to test systems and processes.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related technical discipline.

6 years of experience developing electrical test equipment, laboratory instrumentation systems, or automated hardware test solutions, including significant experience with ATE/STE/EGSE for complex electronics.

Demonstrated hands‑on expertise in:

Mixed‑signal circuit design and test hardware (analog/digital, signal integrity, grounding, power distribution, PCB layout principles).

Integrating commercial instrumentation (oscilloscopes, DMMs, power supplies, loads, signal generators, switching systems, DAQ) into automated test systems.

Developing schematics, wiring diagrams, cable assemblies, and interface control documents.

Strong experience troubleshooting complex electrical hardware and hardware/software integration issues in automated test environments.

Knowledge of communication interfaces such as SPI, I²C, UART, CAN, Ethernet, USB, RS‑422/485, PXI, and/or GPIB.

1–3+ years of experience in a leadership capacity (e.g., technical lead, project lead, or direct people manager) with evidence of successful project delivery and team development.

Proven ability to balance personal technical contributions with planning, coordination, and stakeholder communication responsibilities.

Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills, including the ability to explain technical tradeoffs and risk in a clear, concise way.

Must be a U.S. Person with the ability to perform work subject to ITAR/EAR regulations and applicable program requirements.

Desirable Experience

Experience developing Automated Test Equipment (ATE), Special Test Equipment (STE), or Electrical Ground Support Equipment (EGSE) for aerospace or defense systems.

Experience supporting FPGA‑based electronics, embedded systems, or mission‑critical avionics hardware.

Experience with high‑reliability electronic hardware qualification, acceptance testing, and environmental testing.

Experience designing custom interface electronics, relay switching matrices, signal conditioning circuits, and power control hardware.

Experience using schematic capture and PCB layout tools such as Altium Designer, KiCad, Cadence Allegro, or equivalent.

Familiarity with IPC Class 3 workmanship standards and aerospace manufacturing practices.

Experience supporting EMI/EMC testing and hardware qualification to military or aerospace standards.

Experience collaborating with automated test software development teams using LabVIEW, TestStand, Python, C#, or similar technologies.

Active U.S. Department of Defense Security Clearance or the ability to obtain one.

Classification: Full‑time Exempt

Benefits Include: (Please note, Interns are not eligible for benefits)

• Unlimited PTO - Vacation, Sick, Personal, and Bereavement
• Paid Parental and Adoptive Leave
• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Tax Advantage Accounts (HSA/FSA)
• Employer Paid Short and Long Term Disability, Basic Life, AD&D
• Additional Benefit Options Including Voluntary Life and Emergency Medical Transport
• EAP Program
• Retirement Savings Plan - 401k with Company Match

We’re an equal‑opportunity employer. You will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

No outside recruiters, please.