The role
- COMP
- $175K - $200K
- EQUITY
- Competitive equity
- LOCATION
- Los Angeles
- WORKPLACE
- On-site
- EXPERIENCE
- 5 - 8 years
- VISA
- None
- STACK
- Python
- INDUSTRY
- Defense, Hardware, Manufacturing, Security
/roles — ROLE_345
Lead Integration & Test Engineer
Well-funded defense hardware company producing long-range hypersonic systems for US deterrence
The company
Well-funded defense manufacturer developing long-range hypersonic weapons for the US military, already under production contracts with several service branches and expanding its manufacturing footprint fast.
- STAGE
- public-scale
- FUNDING
- public-scale
- TEAM
- 300+ people
- BACKING
- backed by Lightspeed, a16z, General Catalyst
JD — the work
About the role
You would lead the integration and verification work for complete hypersonic vehicles as the company begins delivering its first production run to a military customer. The role is deeply cross-functional: you sit inside the build from day one, confirm each subsystem is validated before handoff, and use systems-level thinking to spot integration problems before they happen. You would also coach a junior teammate and help grow the integration and test function as production scales.
What you'll do
- Lead vehicle-level integration so propulsion, avionics, warheads, and structures fit and work together in production
- Plan integration and test approaches that surface problems mid-build, serving as the final quality check before units ship
- Script and run automated environmental tests in Python and LabVIEW, including thermal, vacuum, and vibration
- Design fixtures and integration tooling so energetic materials and intricate mechanical hardware can be moved and assembled safely
- Coach a junior I&T engineer and grow the team across both production sites
What they're looking for
- 5+ years of integration and test engineering on complex hardware
- Deep systems-level understanding that spans software, electrical, and mechanical disciplines
- The foresight to catch integration risks early, well ahead of the production floor
- Background in demanding, high-consequence programs like first builds, pilot production, or new-product introduction
- Test automation experience in Python, with LabVIEW a plus