Chariot Defense

Test Engineer, Hardware and Systems

San Bruno, California, United States

Sponsorship not specifiedDetected 36 days ago

PythonAlgorithmsMIL-STDDO-160Mechanical DesignPower ElectronicsLabVIEWTest AutomationCommunication

About the role

Our team comes from Tesla, Anduril, Apple, Archer, and the U.S. military.
We emerged from stealth in 2025, are already fielded across DoD exercises, and are backed by General Catalyst, a16z, and DCVC.
This is a high-ownership, high-impact, hands-on role.

Design, build, instrument, and automate test equipment for electrical, mechanical, thermal and environmental validation of hardware - batteries, inverters, DC-DC converters, controllers/ ECUs, distribution units, and integrated Amphora systems
Develop and run environmental test programs per MIL, energy, and automotive specs: temperature cycling, vibration, shock, ingress, corrosion etc.
Collaborate with firmware engineers to validate embedded control logic, power management algorithms, and system behavior under real and edge-case conditions
Interface with design engineers to identify failure modes early, generate DVP&R entries, and drive design changes based on test findings
Build and maintain DAQ systems
Support HIL/SIL validation setups
correlate bench test data with simulation models to close the loop on design confidence

3+ years of hands-on hardware test and validation experience - electronics/ ECUs, power electronics and power systems, Lithium-ion based batteries, or high-density embedded hardware
Proficiency with electrical test equipment: oscilloscopes, power supplies, DAQs, multimeters, function generators, electronic loads
Proficiency in Python, LabVIEW or other automated test platforms for test automation, data acquisition, and post-processing
Familiarity with CAN, SPI, I2C, LIN, UART, or other embedded communication protocols and the ability to use them for test and debug

BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent work experience.
A minimum of 2+ years of experience in a technical engineering, design, or product role in a professional setting.
Strong understanding of engineering fundamentals in structures, materials, fluids and aero, thermal, controls, mechanics/ dynamics, system modeling, and fundamentals of physics.
Manufacturing knowledge & experience with machine shops (sheet metal, CNC, lathe, sand casting, forging, die-casting etc.).
Rapid prototyping background (structures/electronics/software) & 3D printing knowledge.
Proficient in hands-on prototyping (machining, shop tools, welding, soldering), and demonstrated hands-on fabrication skills.
Familiarity with MIL-STD, DO-160, or other automotive, defense, and aerospace standards.
Top-notch engineering intuition and first principles thinking toward designing complex products

Help establish Chariot's test lab infrastructure - equipment selection, calibration processes, safety protocols, and documentation standards

Own hardware unit-level test station development: design specialized automated test equipment (ATE), write test scripts, and maintain test coverage as hardware evolves

Chariot Defense is a defense technology company that designs and manufactures a family of power products for the U.S. military and its allies.
We believe that credible deterrence of armed conflict and winning if deterrence fails, requires more than just the best drones, sensors, weapons, electronic warfare systems, and command & control capabilities.
Those critical components will require sustained electric power in austere and resource-constrained environments.
Moreover, military units must be able to turn off the trucks and generators that generate this power to hide and survive.
In other words, power generation must be decoupled from power consumption.
Chariot Defense's products enable exactly this capability, allowing U.S. and allied militaries to be more lethal and survivable.
We hope you will join us on this mission.
What We're Looking For

This listing is sourced directly from Chariot Defense's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.