Allen Control Systems
Director of Test Operations
Austin, TX · Director
Sponsorship not specifiedDetected 4 days ago
C++LinuxComputer VisionProduct ManagementProduct StrategySystems EngineeringRoboticsMechanical DesignAerospace EngineeringElectrical EngineeringControlsLeadershipCommunication
About the role
- This is a hands-on leadership role at the intersection of engineering, field operations, and defense testing.
Responsibilities
- Own the Test Operations directorate end to end: set strategic test objectives, define the operating rhythm, and build the planning, readiness, and execution frameworks that turn engineering intent into credible, traceable, decision-quality data.
- Lead and develop a multi-disciplinary team of test engineers, operations technicians, and drone operators. Own hiring, qualification, and career development for the directorate.
- Set and drive the test strategy across all test lines, from live-fire validation to engineering testing to CV data capture. Preserve test independence so the directorate produces honest data regardless of program pressure.
- Model capacity, identify bottlenecks across the production-to-delivery chain, and drive corrective action - inside the directorate and across engineering, manufacturing, and program interfaces.
- Own the safety posture for all test activity.
- Hold the line on safety under schedule pressure, and build the safety culture that makes that unremarkable.
- Lead post-event debriefs and after-action reviews. Identify recurring failure modes and execution bottlenecks and drive systemic corrective action into future planning cycles, engineering processes, and manufacturing handoffs.
- Demonstrated experience building or scaling a test organization: standing up processes, qualification pipelines, and infrastructure to support growing test volume and increasing system complexity.
- Strong technical fluency across complex hardware/software systems. Proven ability to set direction, translate strategy into executable plans and readiness gates, and manage competing priorities under sustained pressure.
- Backed by our founders' successful exits from two previous ventures acquired for a combined $180M in 2022, we are committed to ensuring that the groundbreaking technologies we develop will have a real-world impact.
Requirements
- Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, or a closely related technical field.
- Working proficiency with Linux and the command line, and the ability to read, troubleshoot, and reason about production code (C++ or equivalent).
- You will not be writing production software, but you must be able to sit with an engineer, follow the logic, and hold a credible technical conversation about what the system is doing and why a test failed.
- Track record of holding safety standards under schedule and customer pressure.
- Direct experience testing or operating autonomous systems, robotics, unmanned systems, counter-UAS systems, weapon systems, or integrated hardware/software defense platforms.
- Experience establishing range access, surface danger zone requirements, or test infrastructure for large-caliber or directed-energy systems.
- Master's degree in Engineering, Systems Engineering, Robotics, or a related technical discipline.
Compensation
- Competitive salary
Benefits
- ACS Equity Package
- Health, Dental, Vision Insurance
- We are developing an autonomous gun turret using advanced computer vision and control systems to precisely detect, track, and neutralize enemy drones.
Company info
- Represent test to senior leadership, commercial customers, U.S. government personnel, and foreign government representatives.
- Allen Control Systems (ACS) is a cutting-edge defense startup founded by two former Navy electrical engineers with a proven track record in robotics and software.
- You'll Stand Out
Equal opportunity
- Equal Opportunity Employer, providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment.
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This listing is sourced directly from Allen Control Systems's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.