About Poseidon Aerospace:
Poseidon Aerospace is reimagining how the world moves goods. We build and operate full-size autonomous cargo aircraft - capable of carrying two tons of payload over a thousand nautical miles. From remote communities to contested logistics operations, our platforms unlock a new cost curve for air freight, making it faster, cheaper, and accessible anywhere it's needed. Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area with locations in Washington DC, Oregon, and Maine; we're building something consequential.
About the role
Test and Validation finds problems on the ground before they show up in flight. As a Test and Validation Engineer you will build and run the hardware-in-the-loop benches, simulation environments, and automated validators that every flight software release and every piece of avionics hardware must pass before it goes on the aircraft. You will also design and run environmental and durability tests on aircraft hardware. The faster you find faults, the faster the aircraft flies.
Responsibilities
Bring up and maintain hardware-in-the-loop benches with flight computers, actuators, sensors, and power hardware in the loop
Maintain the software-in-the-loop environment and the real-time simulation that drives the benches
Integrate vehicle, sensor, and actuator models from GNC and flight sciences into the simulation
Write validators: automated checks that evaluate simulation, bench, and flight data against requirements
Build automated regression testing that runs each flight software release through simulation and hardware-in-the-loop
Develop fault injection for sensor, actuator, data bus, and power failures
Build data pipelines and analysis tooling for test and flight data
Design and run environmental and durability tests on aircraft hardware, including vibration, thermal, and ingress
Integrate instrumentation and data acquisition on test rigs
Write test plans and procedures from requirements and failure mode analyses, and report results
Investigate anomalies found in test and drive root cause with the owning team
Support aircraft ground test and flight test with validators and data analysis, including travel to our flight test site
Required Qualifications
B.S. in electrical, mechanical, aerospace, or computer engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience
2+ years testing complex electromechanical or embedded systems
Proficiency in Python and working knowledge of C or C++
Experience building or operating hardware-in-the-loop, software-in-the-loop, or automated test systems
Hands-on electrical debugging skills and familiarity with common vehicle data buses
Preferred Qualifications
Test experience on aircraft, UAS, spacecraft, or automotive systems
Experience with real-time simulation platforms such as Speedgoat, dSPACE, or NI
Experience with environmental testing to DO-160 or MIL-STD-810
Experience with actuators, motor controllers, or power systems
Experience with continuous integration for embedded software
Familiarity with FMEA and reliability analysis
Experience analyzing flight or vehicle test data
Why this role
Every flight software release and every avionics box passes through what you build before it reaches the aircraft. You will work with nearly every engineering team, see problems before anyone else does, and directly set how fast the program can fly safely.
What you get from us
Competitive salary and meaningful early-stage equity
Relocation support if applicable
Employee Health Benefit Plans
6% Retirement matching
Flexible PTO
Free lunches, snacks, and a stocked fridge at our offices
AI tools and subscriptions