HITL Test Engineer

Astranis; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 215,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Healthcare

401(k) retirement plan

On-site catered meals

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Astranis is seeking a HITL Test Engineer to design, build, and maintain hardware-in-the-loop testbeds that prove satellites before flight. You will collaborate with Flight Software, GNC, Avionics, and Power teams to ensure testbeds are flight-representative, reliable, and ready for testing.

You will own full lifecycle of flatsat/testbed builds, design harnesses, triage anomalies, and expand simulations. Strong debugging, hands-on work, and clear documentation are essential in a fast-paced

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in EE/AE/CS or equivalent background knowledge.
• 2–5+ years in hardware integration, systems bring-up, or test engineering.
• Comfort with hardware and software debugging from rack assembly to Python traces.
• Experience with embedded systems or lab hardware like oscilloscopes.
• 2+ years Python for test automation; 1+ years Linux shell.
• 1+ years version control (git); ability to read schematics.

Responsibilities

• Own full lifecycle of flatsat and HITL testbed builds from design to procurement.
• Design harnessing needs and coordinate with manufacturing for flight-like hardware.
• On-call support for testbed health and triaging anomalies.
• Diagnose and resolve hardware/software failures across firmware and software.
• Drive testbed architecture decisions and risk mitigation for contention.
• Expand simulation capabilities as satellite blocks come online.
• Develop tooling to improve observability and automated operations.
• Assist in recruiting and onboarding new teammates.

Skills

Python

Linux

Debugging

Hardware integration

Test automation

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in EE/AE/CS

Tools

Logic analyzers

Oscilloscopes

Git

Kubernetes

Job description

Astranis builds advanced satellites for high orbits, expanding humanity’s reach into the solar system. Today, Astranis satellites provide dedicated, secure networks to highly-sophisticated customers across the globe— large enterprises, sovereign governments, and the US military. With five satellites on orbit and many more set to launch soon, the company is servicing a backlog of more than $1 billion of commercial contracts.

Astranis is the preferred satellite communications partner for buyers with stringent requirements for uptime, data security, network visibility, and customization. Astranis has raised over $750 million from some of the world’s best investors, from Andreessen Horowitz to Blackrock and Fidelity, and employs a team of 450 engineers and entrepreneurs. Astranis designs, builds, and operates its satellites out of its 153,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Northern California, USA.

HITL Test Engineer

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated HITL Test Engineer to join our rapidly-growing team. In this role, you will be responsible for designing, building, and maintaining the hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) testbeds that serve as the primary proving ground for every satellite we build and fly. You will collaborate with nearly every engineering team — Flight Software, Guidance Navigation & Control, Avionics, Power, Payload, and Mission Ops — to ensure our testbeds are flight-representative, reliable, and always ready to support testing. If it runs on a satellite, it gets proven on HITL first.

Role

• Own the full lifecycle of flatsat and HITL testbed builds, from initial design and BOM development through hardware procurement and software bring-up
• Scope and design harnessing needs, coordinating with manufacturing to produce custom harnesses for flight-like hardware
• Serve on a rotating on-call point of contact for testbed health, triaging anomalies and managing access for other engineers
• Diagnose and resolve hardware and software failures on the testbed, spanning firmware interfaces, flight software, and physical components
• Drive testbed architecture decisions, including hardware allocation tradeoffs and risk mitigation for testbed contention
• Expand simulation capabilities as new satellite blocks come online, integrating motor emulators and deployment simulators
• Develop tooling to improve testbed observability, monitoring, and automated operations
• Assist in recruiting, interviewing, and hiring additional teammates to our rapidly-growing team

Requirements

• Bachelors degree in EE, AE, CS (or equivalent background knowledge)
• 2-5+ years of experience in hardware integration, systems bring-up, or test engineering
• Comfort working across hardware and software, from rack assembly to debugging Python tracebacks
• Experience with embedded systems, proprietary test hardware, or laboratory hardware like logic analyzers and oscilloscopes
• 2+ years of experience with Python (or equivalent high-level scripting language) for test automation
• 1+ years of experience with Linux and shell command line tools
• 1+ years of experience with version control systems (git or equivalent)
• Experience reading schematics and debugging circuits that interface with embedded software
• Strong debugging instincts and a methodical approach to documenting novel failures
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• A passion for building things, including working in a fast-paced environment and hands-on development

Bonus

• Familiarity with flight software architectures, telemetry systems, or simulation frameworks
• Prior experience with networked lab infrastructure, Kubernetes, or Linux system administration

What we offer:

All our positions offer a compensation package that includes equity and robust benefits.

Base pay is just one component of Astranis's total rewards package. Your compensation also includes a significant equity package via incentive stock options, high-quality company-subsidized healthcare, disability and life insurance, 401(k) retirement planning, flexible PTO, and free on-site catered meals.

Astranis pay ranges are informed and defined through professional-grade salary surveys and compensation data sources. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, and the level and scope of the position.

Base Salary

$150,000 — $215,000 USD

U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, or Refugee/Asylee Status Required

(To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States, or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3))

Our mission and our products are meant to connect the world and everyone in it, regardless of gender, race, creed, or any other distinction. We believe in a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we encourage all people to join our team and bring their unique perspective to help make us stronger.