Senior Test Automation Engineer – Space Payloads

General Atomics; Acton (MA); On-site; USD 106,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) designs and builds advanced EO/IR space payloads and systems for defense and space applications. The Test Software & Automation Engineer will join the Optical Payload I&T team to design, automate, and test software-based payload subsystems, collaborating across systems, software, and hardware engineers in Acton, MA.

This on-site, full-time role emphasizes repeatable test workflows, data analysis, and robust software architectures.

Qualifications

• Typically requires a bachelor's, master's, or PhD in engineering with progressive experience.
• Strong Python software-development experience in production or engineering environments.
• Demonstrated experience architecting and maintaining a nontrivial software system.
• Demonstrated experience interfacing software with hardware, embedded systems, or lab equipment.
• Strong understanding of software architecture, modular design, interface definition, configuration management, and automated testing.
• Strong debugging skills across software, communications, OS, and hardware interfaces.
• Ability to mentor less experienced software developers and review their work.
• Comfortable working directly in laboratories with engineers and hardware.
• Strong technical writing, documentation, and communication skills.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Security Clearance is required.

Responsibilities

• Serve as technical lead for payload test software, test automation, and software-based EGSE.
• Architect reusable test software frameworks for payload integration, functional test, and production.
• Lead development of hardware abstraction layers and interfaces to lab equipment, payload electronics, sensors, motion system, optical equipment, and other GSE.
• Develop operator-facing applications for configuration, telemetry visualization, test execution, and data review.
• Define software architectures supporting repeatable, automated test execution.
• Develop and maintain data acquisition, processing, image-analysis, visualization, and database infrastructure.
• Establish software development practices including version control, code review, automated testing, CI/CD, release management, deployment.
• Support automated verification and regression testing of flight and test software.
• Lead troubleshooting of software/hardware integration issues in labs.
• Reduce operator-dependent activities through automation and user-interface design.
• Mentor junior software personnel and provide technical direction and reviews.
• Collaborate with system and test engineers to translate test requirements into software capabilities.
• Develop common software capabilities reusable across programs and test stations.

Skills

Python

Software architecture

Debugging

Mentoring

Lab work

Technical writing

Mentoring junior developers

DoD security clearance readiness

CI/CD

Containers

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field

Master's degree

PhD

Tools

CI/CD

Docker

Kubernetes

Linux

OpenCV

Databases

Job description

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) designs and builds advanced EO/IR space payloads and systems for defense and space applications. The Test Software & Automation Engineer will join the Optical Payload I&T team to design, automate, and test software-based payload subsystems, collaborating across systems, software, and hardware engineers in Acton, MA.

This on-site, full-time role emphasizes repeatable test workflows, data analysis, and robust software architectures.