Senior Hardware Test Engineer

SPAN; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive equity grants

Comprehensive benefits: 100% premiums

Parental leave up to 24 weeks

Transit-accessible office

Employee Resource Groups

Job summary

SPAN is seeking an experienced hardware test engineer to drive a comprehensive test program for new products and support field reliability. You will partner with electrical, mechanical, and systems teams to implement test plans, build in-house capabilities, and coordinate with outside labs as needed.

The role emphasizes design-for-reliability, automated data collection with Python, and hands-on lab work to validate power electronics and system-level electronics across various interfaces.

Qualifications

• BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering (or related field).
• 5+ years experience developing and executing validation or reliability tests for electronic hardware.
• Understanding of power electronics, analog circuits, and digital communication interfaces.
• Experience using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, power analyzers, and other lab instrumentation for electrical validation.
• Experience with analysis of test results including statistical analysis techniques.
• Experience with scripting languages, particularly Python.
• Ability to perform hands‑on work including test setup, instrumentation, soldering, and debugging.
• Excellent technical writing skills with experience drafting test documentation.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with a detail‑oriented mindset.
• Effective communicator and team collaborator.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to design-for-reliability and validation strategy for SPAN's future products.
• Define and execute test plans to validate performance, reliability, and compliance of boards and system electronics.
• Develop automated test setups using Python and Linux CLI for data collection, logging, and analysis.
• Collaborate with hardware design engineers to translate requirements into test specs.
• Perform electrical validation and stress testing including power cycling, fault injection, and communication robustness.
• Analyze test data and present findings to design and leadership teams.
• Work hands-on in the lab: setting up instrumentation and soldering/debugging boards.
• Support regulatory, compliance, and safety testing (FCC, UL, IEC, NEC).
• Drive root-cause analysis of test failures with cross-functional teams.

Skills

Power electronics

Analog circuits

Digital communication interfaces

Statistical analysis

Scripting languages

Python

Hands-on work

Technical writing

Analytical problem solving

Communication and teamwork

Education

BS/MS in Electrical Engineering or Mechatronics

Tools

Oscilloscopes

Logic analyzers

Power analyzers

Lab instrumentation

Job description

Our Mission

SPAN is enabling electrification for all

We are a mission-driven company designing, building, and deploying products that electrify the built environment, reduce carbon emissions, and slow the effects of climate change.

• Decarbonization is the process to reduce or remove greenhouse gas emissions, especially carbon dioxide, from entering our atmosphere.

• Electrification is the process of replacing fossil fuel appliances that run on gas or oil with all-electric upgrades for a cleaner way to power our lives.

At SPAN, we believe in:

• Enabling homes and vehicles powered by clean energy

• Making electrification upgrades possible

• Building more resilient homes with reliable backup

• Designing a flexible and distributed electrical grid

The Role

SPAN is seeking an experienced and driven hardware test engineer who can contribute to all stages of development. In this role, you will rely on your past experience to develop a comprehensive hardware test program for new products and support any reliability issues that arise in the field. You will work with the electrical, mechanical, and systems teams to implement test plans, build out our in-house testing capabilities, and work with outside labs as needed.

In this position, you will be:

• Contributing to the design-for-reliability and validation strategy for SPAN's future electrical products.

• Defining and executing test plans to validate performance, reliability, and compliance of circuit boards and system-level electronics (e.g. power converters, energy metering, and communication interfaces).

• Developing automated test setups using Python and Linux command-line tools for data collection, logging, and analysis.

• Collaborating with hardware design engineers to translate design requirements into detailed test specifications.

• Performing electrical validation and stress testing, including power cycling, fault injection, communication robustness, and analog/digital signal characterization.

• Analyzing test data, applying statistical methods where appropriate, and presenting clear, actionable findings to design and leadership teams.

• Working hands-on in the lab: setting up instrumentation, soldering/debugging boards, and executing electrical tests.

• Supporting regulatory, compliance, and safety testing (FCC, UL, IEC, NEC).

• Driving root-cause analysis of test failures and collaborating with cross-functional teams.

About You

Required Qualifications

• BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering (or related field).

• 5+ years experience developing and executing validation or reliability tests for electronic hardware.

• Understanding of power electronics, analog circuits, and digital communication interfaces.

• Experience using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, power analyzers, and other lab instrumentation for electrical validation.

• Experience with analysis of test results including statistical analysis techniques.

• Experience with scripting languages, particularly Python.

• Ability to perform hands‑on work including test setup, instrumentation, soldering, and debugging.

• Excellent technical writing skills with experience drafting test documentation.

• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with a detail‑oriented mindset.

• Effective communicator and team collaborator.

Bonus Qualifications

• Experience leading projects with a diverse team under tight timelines.

• Experience working safely with high voltage equipment (up to 600V).

• Experience working with and testing AC and/or DC power systems.

• Knowledge of national and international safety and regulatory requirements such as UL, National Electric Code (NEC), IEC, and ISO.

• Experience with root cause analysis (RCA) of field failures.

• Prior experience managing junior test technicians and mentoring junior test engineers.

Life at SPAN

Headquartered in San Francisco's vibrant SoMa neighborhood, we are an eclectic group of creative thinkers who value open communication, teamwork, and a 'make it happen' approach to addressing complex challenges.

SPAN embraces diversity and equal opportunity in a serious way. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.

We're hiring talented individuals who are driven by success and are passionate about shaping the future of renewable energy. If that sounds like you, we'd love for you to consider joining the rapidly growing team at SPAN.

The Perks:

Competitive compensation + equity grants at a well‑funded, venture‑backed company

Comprehensive benefits: 100% employee premiums for base plans on medical, dental, vision with options for additional coverage. Parental leave up to twenty four (24) weeks depending on eligibility

Comfortable, sunny office space located near BART and Caltrain public transit

Strong focus on team building and company culture: Employee Resource Groups, monthly social events, SPANcakes recognition breakfast, lunch, and learns

Flexible hours, one holiday per month, and flexible time off