Test Engineer, Abuse Engineering

Base Power; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Base is hiring a Test Engineer to push our batteries and inverters past their limits. You will review designs, plan and run tests, including certification, mostly at Base's outdoor test site outside Austin with transportation provided.

You'll design and execute safety tests, manage data acquisition, and generate detailed test reports. This hands‑on role requires comfort with outdoor work and a passion for engineering reliability at a fast‑moving startup.

Qualifications

• Degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• 1+ years designing and running tests on electrical equipment.
• Experience working around lithium‑ion batteries, high voltage, and DAQ systems.
• Comfort with hands‑on, mostly outdoor work.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate designs for safety with DFMEA and similar tools.
• Design and run safety and abuse tests, including thermal runaway, battery and inverter short circuit, and full-voltage switch interruption.
• Own the safety of every test setup.
• Set up data acquisition: thermocouples, voltage and current, and accelerometers.
• Run certification tests in-house or at external labs.
• Improve test throughput, quality, and the test site itself.
• Write world‑class test reports and share results with the people who need them.

Skills

Electrical Eng

Test design

Lithium-ion batteries

High voltage

DAQ systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering

Tools

CAD

Safety testing

DFMEA

Lab equipment

Job description

About Base

Base is America’s next-generation power company. We’re rebuilding the foundation of modern civilization–electricity–by deploying a vast network of distributed batteries that is transforming today’s fragile, centralized grid into a resilient and abundant system. We are engineers, operators, and creatives solving some of the most complex, interdisciplinary challenges of our time.

About the Role

Base is hiring a Test Engineer to push our batteries and inverters past their limits on purpose, so our members never see it. You'll review designs, find gaps in test coverage, then plan, build, and run the tests, including the ones required for certification. Most of your time will be hands‑on at Base's outdoor test site outside Austin (transportation provided), with time in the office too.

What You'll Do

• Evaluate designs for safety with DFMEA and similar tools.

• Design and run safety and abuse tests, including thermal runaway, battery and inverter short circuit, and full-voltage switch interruption.

• Own the safety of every test setup.

• Set up data acquisition: thermocouples, voltage and current, and accelerometers.

• Run certification tests in-house or at external labs.

• Improve test throughput, quality, and the test site itself.

• Write world‑class test reports and share results with the people who need them.

What You'll Bring

• Degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.

• 1+ years designing and running tests on electrical equipment.

• Experience working around lithium‑ion batteries, high voltage, and DAQ systems.

• Comfort with hands‑on, mostly outdoor work.

Preferred Skills

• Battery thermal runaway testing.

• UL 9540, UL 9540A, or UL 1973.

• Short circuit or other high‑energy testing.

• Fixture and test setup design in CAD.

About the Team

Our hardware reliability and test team breaks Base products before our members can. We run mechanical, electrical, environmental, and abuse testing from component to full system, track how the fleet holds up in the field, root‑cause the failures that matter, and feed fixes straight back to design. Homeowners across the country rely on Base for whole‑home backup and lower electricity bills. Our network of home batteries also helps keep the grid stable as demand climbs from AI, electrification, and extreme weather. We build in‑house and expand at a speed and cost incumbents can’t match, and this team makes that possible.

Please note: Base is a startup, which means priorities shift and evolve quickly. Your role may expand or change based on the needs of the business at any given time, so the responsibilities listed may not be exhaustive.

Our Values

• First Principles Thinking: Question assumptions. Principles > rules.

• Operate at Base Pace: Focus on what matters, act quickly, and learn by doing.

• Give & Get Feedback: Be direct, be humble, and maintain a growth mindset.

• Everyone’s an Owner: Follow through on commitments and own results.

• Strong Opinions, Loosely Held: Drive clarity and make calls with imperfect information.

• Committed to the Mission: Rebuilding the grid is a big challenge. We work hard because we care deeply about the impact we’re creating. We work in‑person. It’s not a 9-to‑5. We are all‑in.

• Fun & Optimism Coexist with Grit: Collaboration and celebration coincide with the intensity of building real things.

Do the best work of your life at Base.