Manager, Systems Integration & Test Engineering – Military Data Links

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision insurance

401k with company match

Parental leave

Paid time off

Job summary

Cubic Defense 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.

You will develop test strategies, manage SILs, HWIL, and SWIL environments, ensuring requirements traceability and readiness for reviews and customer demonstrations. The role emphasizes leadership, collaboration, and technical excellence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Software Engineering, or related discipline.
• 8+ years of leadership experience in systems integration, verification, validation, and test.
• 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.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of approximately 10–20 Systems, Integration, Test, and Simulation Engineers; set priorities, staffing plans, and objective metrics.
• Plan and execute system integration, verification, validation, qualification, and regression testing; maintain test plans and traceability.
• Oversee SIL/HWIL/SWIL environments, ensure compliant, repeatable test setups and secure operations.
• Develop resource estimates, schedules, and budgets; manage test execution to cost, schedule, and quality goals.
• Support reviews, test readiness activities, and customer demonstrations; collaborate with cross‑functional teams.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Problem solving

Active security clearance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical 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. We have a top-tier portfolio of businesses, including Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) and Cubic Defense (CD). 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.

Cubic offers medical, dental and vision insurance, company-paid disability (company continues full pay and benefits for up to six weeks), life insurance options, critical illness and accident coverages, Flexible Spending Accounts, a pre-paid legal plan, travel accident insurance, an award-winning well‑being program which includes an employer-funded lifestyle spending account, up to six weeks of paid parental leave, and a 401k Retirement Plan with a company match.

Employees can also take advantage of backup childcare, pet care, pet insurance, virtual tutoring, and a tuition reimbursement program.

Many locations follow a 9/80 work schedule with time-off policies to help encourage employees to take time for rest and relaxation. Full-time salaried employees are eligible to participate in Cubic’s flexible time-off arrangement. Part-time and hourly employees accrue paid time-off (PTO)/Sick leave at a rate of 5.23 hours bi-weekly. Lastly, Cubic provides its employees 11 paid holidays throughout the calendar year.

With a presence in over 60 countries and more than 5,000 employees worldwide, Cubic is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action‑Employer. We are committed to ensuring a workplace free of discrimination based on race, color, religion, age, disability, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, military or veteran status, and any other basis protected by applicable law.

For more information on Equal Employment please visit: http://www.cubic.com/Careers/Applicant-Help. To learn more, visit Cubic.com. Follow us on LinkedIn!