Senior Electrical Test Engineer

Socket.dev; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 118,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Northwood Space is a modern space infrastructure company delivering real-time, reliable testing and integration support for satellite hardware. You will join our lab near Torrance, building test fixtures, harnesses, and ATE interfaces while performing end-to-end verification of electrical, RF, and software components in a fast, collaborative environment.

This role offers hands-on Lab work with equipment vendors and cross-disciplinary teams to enable mission success.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in electrical engineering or related field.
• Strong programming abilities in Python, C++, Rust; comfortable developing in a Linux environment.
• Hands-on experience with electrical test equipment such as power supplies, DC loads, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and network analyzers.

Responsibilities

• Lead test development from concept through production, including test strategy, requirements, and execution plans.
• Design hardware, wiring, and electrical systems to support electrical and RF testing for production and development needs.
• Develop modular and reusable test automation software in Python / Rust / C++ on Linux.
• Own test maintainability and reliability across the lifecycle—calibration, upkeep, debugging, and continuous improvement of test assets.
• Create device and subsystem simulators for HITL and automated integration testing.
• Support environmental and qualification testing (thermal, vibration, shock) with instrumentation and test procedures.

Skills

Python

C++

Rust

Linux

Electrical testing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

PXI

USB/LXI

Oscilloscopes

Logic analyzers

Network analyzers

Job description

Northwood is a modern space infrastructure company bringing the benefits of space to the masses through advanced communications technology. We are building a global network of phased array ground stations that enable real‑time, reliable communication for satellite missions such as national security, global connectivity, and disaster response. With a vertically integrated approach, Northwood designs, builds, and rapidly deploys scalable systems that power the next generation of space missions. If you like solving complex challenges and seeing your work deployed around the world with real impact, Northwood is the place to do it.

Responsibilities:

• Lead integrated test development from concept through production, including test strategy, requirements, and execution plans
• Design hardware, wiring, and electrical systems to support electrical and RF testing for both production and development needs (fixtures, harnesses, interfaces, rack integration)
• Develop modular and reusable test automation software, including frameworks, drivers, and tooling in Linux environments using Python / Rust / C++
• Own test maintainability and reliability across the lifecycle — defining calibration, upkeep, debugging, and continuous improvement of test assets
• Create device and subsystem simulators for hardware‑in‑the‑loop (HITL) and automated integration testing
• Support environmental and qualification testing (thermal, vibration, shock), including defining instrumentation and test procedures where needed

Basic Qualifications:

• 4+ Years of Experience + Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field
• Strong programming abilities (Python, C++, Rust), and comfort developing in a Linux‑based environment
• Hands‑on experience with electrical test equipment such as power supplies, DC loads, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and network analyzers

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience root‑causing issues in integrated electronics (mixed‑signal, digital, RF‑adjacent systems)
• Familiarity with MIL‑STD‑810 test methods, including vibration, shock, and thermal testing
• Experience designing test racks / ATE systems (PXI, USB/LXI instrumentation, custom interfaces) and scaling them into production
• Experience writing reusable test software patterns (hardware abstraction layers, driver libraries, test sequencing frameworks)
• Comfort working at the boundary between HW + SW: firmware bring‑up, control interfaces (I2C/SPI/UART), fault injection, telemetry capture

Additional Requirements:

• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed

Compensation:

Test Engineer/Level 3: $118,400-$148,000 per year

Test Engineer/Level 4: $136,000 - $170,000 per year

Additional Information:

If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.

Northwood Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Northwood Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.