Hardware Test Engineering Manager

Join Kepler, a leading space technology company, as a Hardware Test Engineering Manager. In this role, you will lead the hardware test engineering function, collaborating with various teams to ensure the reliability and performance of our next-generation space hardware. You will be responsible for building and growing the hardware test engineering team, developing scalable test processes, and shaping the hardware test capability roadmap. This is a manager-level role with strong technical scope, requiring a background in hardware testing and engineering management.

• Lead and grow the hardware test engineering team responsible for producing objective evidence that Kepler hardware can survive manufacturing, launch, operation, and mission life.
• Oversee execution of hardware test subsystems, validation infrastructure, test procedures, fixtures, automation, dashboards, and evidence packages across active programs.
• Shape and execute the Hardware Test capability roadmap, including expanded mechanical/environmental test, automation, test data capabilities, lab equipment, automated test systems, MGSE, and facilities required to support long-term scale.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage a hardware team through product delivery, schedule commitments, quality expectations, dependency management, and cross-functional escalations
• 5+ years of experience in hardware testing, design validation, production test, or related engineering work, including experience leading engineers, technical projects, team leads, and other managers
• Experience with git or other codebase versioning and management tools
• Experience with at least one scripting or programming language, such as Python, MATLAB, Bash, or C/C++, and the ability to guide scalable automation and data-driven test infrastructure
• Technical depth in lab and production test methods, including oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, multimeters, and automated test systems
• Demonstrates a willingness to adopt and effectively utilize AI-assisted engineering tools, applying sound judgment to improve productivity, quality, and innovation while continuously adapting to evolving technologies
• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field
• Experience developing test strategies, plans, cases, fixtures, scripts, reports, dashboards, and well documented processes for products and subassemblies
• Strong communication skills with the ability to connect technical decisions to program and business outcomes, align expectations across teams, and communicate risks and priorities clearly
• Experience working in Linux environments, including command-line tools and terminal workflows
• Familiarity with networking fundamentals such as SSH, authentication, secure access, and basic connectivity troubleshooting
• Ability to coach engineers, build ownership, support performance and development conversations, and create an inclusive, accountable team environment
• Basic experience with databases for test data storage, retrieval, and analysis, including SQL or NoSQL systems
• Experience with space hardware design, verification, qualification, acceptance testing, environmental test, mission assurance, or reliability engineering
• Experience scaling a test engineering function in a low-volume, high-complexity hardware environment
• Familiarity with reliability tools and methods such as FMEA, fault trees, Weibull analysis, reliability growth, life testing, anomaly review boards, and corrective action systems
• Experience with test automation, hardware-in-the-loop systems, data infrastructure, analytics, predictive health monitoring, or automated evidence generation
• Experience planning capital equipment, lab capability, environmental test facilities, MGSE, or other strategic infrastructure investments