Test Technician

Nelson Connects; Foster City (CA); On-site; USD 114,616,000 - 137,540,000; Full time

Job summary

Nelson Connects is seeking a Test Technician for the Electrical Integration Lab (EIL) in Foster City, CA to join a high‑performance team. You will support HiL testing of electrical, electronic, and mechatronic systems and help build and maintain test assets for reliability and performance.

You will work with system owners, firmware developers, and test engineers to run tests, diagnose issues, and document results.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Electrical Technology, Electronics, Mechatronics, or a related field — or equivalent hands‑on work experience.
• 4 to 6 years of experience in a test, lab, or manufacturing technician role.
• Proficiency reading and interpreting electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and technical drawings.
• Hands‑on experience troubleshooting electrical and mechanical systems.
• Familiarity with CAN bus, LIN, Ethernet, or other automotive communication protocols.
• Experience with ECU or automotive component flashing tools (e.g., CANalyzer, INCA, CANape, or OEM‑specific tools).
• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and ability to follow written procedures.

Responsibilities

• Support testing teams in the setup, execution, and teardown of tests on electrical HiL (Hardware-in-the-Loop) test assets.
• Configure and operate test equipment, fixtures, and data acquisition systems.
• Monitor tests in progress and document results, anomalies, and observations.
• Assist in developing and refining test procedures and work instructions.
• Coordinate with test engineers to ensure test readiness and asset availability.
• Diagnose and resolve issues with electrical test assets, including faults in electrical systems, wiring, connectors, and power distribution.
• Execute software flashing procedures for vehicle electronic control units (ECUs) and other programmable components.
• Escalate complex issues to engineering teams with clear documentation of findings.
• Fabricate and assemble electro-mechanical systems and test fixtures directly from CAD models and technical drawings.

Skills

Electrical testing

CAN/LIN/Ethernet protocols

Troubleshooting

Attention to detail

Schematics interpretation

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in Electrical Technology / Electronics / Mechatronics

Tools

CANalyzer

INCA

CANape

OEM-specific tools

Linux CLI

CAPL scripting

Job description

Test Technician, Electrical Integration Lab (EIL)

Pay rate: $40/hr. - $48/hr.

As part of the Electrical Integration team, we will collectively be responsible for assuring that electrical, electronic, and mechatronic systems are defined, specified, manufactured, integrated and tested into systems and vehicles with a maximum of reliability and performance.

As a Test Technician you will work with a high-performance team at the cutting edge of integrating and testing our complex electrical systems. You will primarily work with system owners, firmware developers, test engineers and other technicians to operate and perform tests Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) test assets. You will also aid in the building of HIL test assets with visible craftsmanship and deep pride in the end product. Life isn’t perfect though, problems will happen and you will help to root cause and understand them and make product better.

Responsibilities

• Support testing teams in the setup, execution, and teardown of tests on electrical HiL (Hardware-in-the-Loop) test assets
• Configure and operate test equipment, fixtures, and data acquisition systems
• Monitor tests in progress and document results, anomalies, and observations
• Assist in developing and refining test procedures and work instructions
• Coordinate with test engineers to ensure test readiness and asset availability
• Diagnose and resolve issues with electrical test assets, including faults in electrical systems, wiring, connectors, and power distribution
• Execute software flashing procedures for vehicle electronic control units (ECUs) and other programmable components
• Escalate complex issues to engineering teams with clear documentation of findings
• Fabricate and assemble electro-mechanical systems and test fixtures directly from CAD models and technical drawings

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Electrical Technology, Electronics, Mechatronics, or a related technical field — or equivalent hands‑on work experience
• 4 to 6 years of experience in a test, lab, or manufacturing technician role
• Proficiency reading and interpreting electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and technical drawings
• Hands‑on experience troubleshooting electrical and mechanical systems
• Familiarity with CAN bus, LIN, Ethernet, or other automotive communication protocols
• Experience with ECU or automotive component flashing tools (e.g., CANalyzer, INCA, CANape, or OEM‑specific tools)
• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and ability to follow written procedures

Preferred

• Experience with Linux command-line-interface and Linux file topology
• Experience in an automotive, EV, or autonomous vehicle development environment
• Familiarity with HiL (Hardware-in-the-Loop) test environments
• Experience diagnosing CAN networks (experience with tools like Vector CANalyzer, PCAN, or Kvaser is a huge plus)
• Basic scripting or automation skills (Python, CAPL, or similar)

Day 1 Requirement: Safety Shoes - Composite Toe

All safety shoes listed below must meet the following requirement:

Safety Shoes must conform with ASTM F 2412 (Standard Test Methods for Foot Protection) and ASTM F 2413 (Standard Specification Performance Requirements for Foot Protection)