Manager, Systems Integration & Test Engineering - Military Data Links

Cubic Corporation; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 152,000 - 171,000; Full time

Job summary

Cubic Defense Company in San Diego is seeking a Systems Test Manager to lead a multidisciplinary team of Systems, Integration, Test, and Simulation Engineers responsible for verification, validation, and qualification of complex aerospace and defense systems.

This role provides technical and people leadership across laboratory, simulation, ground, and flight test environments to ensure products meet customer, regulatory, and contractual requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Systems, Aerospace, or related engineering.
• 8+ years leading systems integration, verification, and test teams.
• Experience developing and executing test plans for complex systems.
• Strong requirements traceability and test procedure knowledge.
• Active security clearance.
• Experience with simulation, lab, and integrated test environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of 10–20 engineers across systems, integration, test, and simulation.
• Develop and execute test plans for system integration, verification, validation, and qualification.
• Ensure requirements traceability from planning through verification closure.
• Oversee defect investigation and root cause analysis of system-level issues.
• Drive test automation and regression testing to improve coverage.

Skills

Leadership

Test planning

Verification

System integration

Communication

Active security clearance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Systems/Aerospace Engineering

Master's degree in Engineering

Job description

Business Unit: Cubic Defense Company Details: When you join Cubic, you become part of a company that creates and delivers technology solutions in transportation to make people's lives easier by simplifying their daily journeys, and defense capabilities to help promote mission success and safety for those who serve their nation. Led by our talented teams around the world, Cubic is committed to solving global issues through innovation and service to our customers and partners.

Explore more on Cubic.com.

Job Details:

The Systems Test Manager leads a multidisciplinary team of Systems, Integration, Test, and Simulation Engineers responsible for the verification, validation, and qualification of complex aerospace and defense systems. This role provides technical and people leadership across laboratory, simulation, ground, and flight test environments to ensure products meet customer, regulatory, and contractual requirements.

The Systems Test Manager is accountable for developing and executing integrated test strategies, managing System Integration Laboratories (SILs), supporting program execution, and delivering predictable verification outcomes across multiple programs.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of approximately 10 to 20 Systems, Integration, Test, and Simulation Engineers.
• Establish technical priorities, staffing plans, resource allocations, and performance objectives.
• Foster a culture of engineering excellence, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Provide technical and program status updates to engineering and business leadership.

Test Strategy & Execution

• Lead planning and execution of system integration, verification, validation, qualification, and regression testing activities.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive test plans and verification strategies spanning laboratory, simulation, ground, and flight test environments.
• Ensure requirements traceability from test planning through verification closure.
• Oversee defect investigation, root cause analysis, and resolution of complex system-level issues.
• Drive implementation of test automation and regression testing capabilities to improve efficiency and coverage.

Laboratory & Simulation Management

• Provide operational oversight of System Integration Laboratories (SILs), Hardware-in-the-Loop (HWIL), and Software-in-the-Loop (SWIL) environments.
• Manage laboratory capacity, configuration control, equipment utilization, and future capability investments.
• Ensure test environments accurately represent operational configurations and support repeatable, traceable testing.
• Maintain laboratory compliance with security, safety, and cybersecurity requirements.

Program Execution

• Develop resource estimates, schedules, and budgets for integration and test activities.
• Manage test execution to cost, schedule, technical performance, and quality objectives.
• Support major engineering reviews, test readiness reviews, qualification activities, and customer demonstrations.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Systems Engineering, Software, Hardware, Cybersecurity, Program Management, and Customer stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Software Engineering, or related discipline.
• Significant experience in aerospace, defense, avionics, communications, mission systems, or other complex engineered systems.
• 8 years of leadership experience in systems integration, verification, validation, and test organizations.
• Experience developing and executing test plans for complex system development programs.
• Strong understanding of requirements-based verification, test procedures, discrepancy management, configuration management, and requirements traceability.
• Experience with simulation, laboratory, and integrated test environments.
• Proven ability to troubleshoot system-level issues across hardware, software, interfaces, and networked systems.
• Strong communication and leadership skills.
• Active security clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Engineering or related technical discipline.
• Experience with military aircraft, mission systems, tactical communications, or data link systems.
• Experience supporting SIL, HWIL, SWIL, simulation, ground, and flight test programs.
• Knowledge of automated testing, continuous integration, regression testing, and test data analysis.
• Experience working with government customers and defense programs.

Cubic Pay Range:

$152,000.00 - $171,000.00 + benefits.

The Cubic pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

Worker Type: Employee

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate based on any protected characteristic under applicable law.