DARC Test Engineer

Actalent; Colorado; On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a DARC Test Engineer to support the full systems engineering lifecycle for a radar and compute system. You will translate customer concepts into detailed requirements, conduct functional analysis, and ensure verifiability and traceability across programs.

You will collaborate with cross-functional teams, prepare test plans, and assist in system/test readiness reviews. Occasional travel and security clearance are required for this role.

Qualifications

• Active U.S. Government Secret security clearance at application time.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s in STEM with specified experience.
• Experience with requirements decomposition and traceability.
• Experience across the systems engineering lifecycle and cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Translate customer requirements into actionable system requirements.
• Perform functional analysis and trade studies.
• Create requirements documents and test/verification docs.
• Coordinate system and subsystem integration activities.
• Plan and execute system tests and document results.
• Support program reviews and status communications.
• Travel occasionally as needed.

Skills

Security clearance

STEM lifecycle experience

Requirements management

Traceability

Cross-functional teams

Test engineering

Agile development

Systems engineering

Education

BSc STEM 2+ yrs

MSc STEM 0 yrs

PhD STEM 1 yr

Job description

Job Description

Job Title: DARC Test Engineer

Job Description

This role focuses on supporting the full systems engineering lifecycle for a complex, mission-critical radar and compute system, with an emphasis on requirements development, integration, testing, and verification. The DARC Test Engineer translates customer concepts of operations into detailed system and subsystem requirements, supports functional analysis and trade studies, and ensures that designs are verifiable, traceable, and aligned with program objectives. This position offers the opportunity to work on high-impact technical challenges that directly support national security while collaborating with experienced engineers and mission partners in a fast-paced, results-driven environment.

Responsibilities

• Support the development, management, analysis, and traceability of system requirements, translating customer requirements and concepts of operations into clear, actionable system and subsystem requirements.
• Perform functional analysis and systems trade studies to evaluate technical solutions across concept, design, fabrication, test, installation, operation, and maintenance phases.
• Assist in generating well-defined and executable system and subsystem requirements documents, interface control documents, and test and verification documentation.
• Support system and subsystem integration activities, ensuring that hardware, software, radar, and compute components function together as intended.
• Plan, execute, and support system and subsystem test activities, including verification and validation against requirements and documentation of results.
• Support system technical performance measurement by defining metrics, tracking performance against targets, and identifying issues or deviations.
• Prepare and contribute to systems engineering materials and artifacts for formal program reviews such as System Requirements Review, System Functional Review, Preliminary Design Review, Critical Design Review, System Verification Review, and Test Readiness Review.
• Collaborate with cross-functional integrated product teams to coordinate requirements, design decisions, integration activities, and test plans throughout the systems engineering lifecycle.
• Interface with internal stakeholders and external customers to deliver technical briefings, communicate program status, and ensure alignment on requirements, risks, and milestones.
• Utilize requirements management tools and processes to maintain rigorous traceability from customer needs through design, implementation, test, and verification.
• Apply Agile development practices, including participation in PI planning, two-week sprint cycles, and story pointing, to coordinate systems engineering and test activities with software and hardware teams.
• Plan and manage Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) deliverables from inception through completion, providing technical expertise, aligning content with the software architecture, and drafting high-quality deliverable documents.
• Use Atlassian tools such as Jira and Confluence, along with SharePoint and MS Office applications, to document requirements, track work, manage test artifacts, and communicate status.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of systems engineering, integration, and test processes by identifying gaps, proposing solutions, and implementing best practices.
• Travel occasionally, as needed, to support integration, test, reviews, or coordination with partners and stakeholders.

Essential Skills

• Active U.S. Government Secret security clearance at the time of application, current and within scope.
• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline with at least 2 years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline with 0 years of experience for Level 2 roles.
• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline with at least 5 years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline with at least 3 years of experience, or a PhD with at least 1 year of experience for Principal-level roles.
• Experience with requirements decomposition and requirements management, including traceability from high-level customer requirements to detailed system and subsystem requirements.
• Experience working with cross-functional integrated product teams across the systems engineering lifecycle.
• Experience working through the full Systems Engineering lifecycle process for system development, including concept, design, integration, test, and verification.
• Experience with requirements analysis, requirements documentation, and validation activities.
• Experience in test engineering, including support for system and subsystem integration, test, a