Solar Hardware Test Engineer

Optivolt; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Unlimited PTO

Pre-IPO equity package

Extra fun perks

Job summary

Optivolt in San Francisco, CA is seeking a Hardware Test Engineer to build test infrastructure and validation systems for rapid, reliable solar products. You’ll own hands-on electrical and system-level testing from prototype characterization to automated regression, field validation, and production test development, collaborating with hardware and firmware teams to ship robust hardware.

This role requires 3+ years of hands-on hardware test experience, strong measurement skills, and scripting in

Qualifications

• 3+ years of hands-on hardware test, validation, or electrical engineering experience.
• Strong electrical fundamentals and ability to read schematics and debug circuits.
• Experience with oscilloscopes, power analyzers, electronic loads, DAQs, and bench instrumentation.
• Python proficiency for automation, analysis, and instrument control.
• Experience building test fixtures and repeatable validation processes.
• Ability to distinguish hardware, firmware, communications, and system-level failure modes.

Responsibilities

• Build test systems that engineers rely on. Design and maintain test benches for Hub, power electronics, and integrated solar systems.
• Automate repetitive validation work. Develop automated test scripts, fixtures, instrumentation interfaces, and data collection systems.
• Measure electrical performance, efficiency, communications, thermal behavior, and protection functions.
• Find edge cases early. Run functional, environmental, stress, and firmware/hardware regression testing.
• Make failures reproducible. Build hardware-in-the-loop or other automated system validation where useful.
• Turn measurements into answers. Analyze data, reproduce failures, isolate root causes, and partner with engineers on fixes.
• Work across hardware and firmware. Write repeatable test plans, acceptance criteria, procedures, and concise reports.
• Bring validation into production. Support certification testing, outdoor trials, and end-of-line manufacturing test.

Skills

Test hardware

Electrical measurement

Test automation

Lab equipment

Python automation

Debug across disciplines

Test planning

Production test support

Tools

SCPI

LabVIEW

CAN

UART

SPI

Job description

Optivolt in San Francisco, CA is seeking a Hardware Test Engineer to build test infrastructure and validation systems for rapid, reliable solar products. You’ll own hands-on electrical and system-level testing from prototype characterization to automated regression, field validation, and production test development, collaborating with hardware and firmware teams to ship robust hardware.

This role requires 3+ years of hands-on hardware test experience, strong measurement skills, and scripting in