Senior Test Engineer
Senior Test Engineer at RedCat Aerial (a Red Cat Holdings subsidiary), a drone/UAS manufacturer for defense and public safety. The role designs and builds test fixtures, automation, and data acquisition systems, runs qualification and reliability testing of electromechanical flight hardware, and applies statistical methods like DOE and Weibull analysis. Based in Carson, CA, moving to Torrance in 2
- Compensation
- $114K–$178.1K / yr
- Location
- Torrance, CA 90503
- Work setup
- Not specified
- Seniority
- Senior
- Employment
- Full time
- Experience
- 5+ years
- Category
- Qa
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace, Electrical, or a related discipline
- 5+ years of experience in reliability, product validation, or mechanical test engineering
- Hands-on experience designing and building custom test setups and data acquisition systems (image capture, vibration analysis, thermal measurement, EMC/EMI measurement)
- Hands-on experience developing and executing qualification test plans for complex electromechanical systems
- Demonstrated ability to apply statistical analysis in product testing and reliability evaluation
- Strong organizational planning skills and enthusiasm to develop high-level validation strategy
- Able to lift 15 lb and work on your feet for 5+ hours each day
- U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residence required (ITAR/EAR); must not require sponsorship for export-restricted work authorization
- Successfully complete a post-offer background check
Nice to have
- Familiarity with environmental test standards (MIL-STD-810, DO-160, etc.) and associated test methods
- Experience with lightweight aerostructures, vibrations, fatigue analysis
- Experience with UAS systems, robotics, autonomous vehicles
- Experience with BLDC motor system design, integration, and validation
- Proficiency in PCB layout, design, and component placement for electromechanical systems
- Industry experience in robotics, UAVs/drones, autonomous systems, or similar hardware-driven environments
- Familiarity with camera modules, imaging systems, and optical component integration
- Knowledge of structural composite materials (carbon fiber, fiberglass) and mold/tooling design
- Experience performing or interpreting thermal, aerodynamic, or transient vibration simulation
Full description
Position Summary
RedCat Aerial, a subsidiary of Red Cat Holdings, is looking to fill a Mechanical Engineer position. We are a dynamic and growing drone technology company focused on the manufacturing of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS drones) for use in defense, public safety, and other government security organizations.
In this role, you will be responsible for designing, prototyping, fabricating, testing, and integrating a range of mechanical systems into flight hardware and ground control systems. The ideal candidate will have a background in mechanical design of drones and/or multi-axis camera gimbals in high volume production applications.
Location Note: The role will start in Carson, but the office is expected to move to the Torrance area in Q1 2026.
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Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Essential functions of a job that are crucial to its purpose and must be performed regularly. They are the fundamental tasks that an employee must be able to carry out, with or without reasonable accommodation, and are central to defining the role's purpose.
- Create custom test fixtures, automation, and data acquisition systems as needed to enable robust, repeatable validation.
- Apply Design of Experiments (DOE), life data analysis, and other statistical techniques (e.g., capability analysis, regression, Weibull analysis) to extract insights and support engineering decisions.
- Partner with supplier quality and purchasing teams to support component qualification, test method validation, and vendor development efforts
- Contribute to and review risk management deliverables (e.g., DFMEA/PFMEA) and propose test strategies that address top failure modes.
- Support root cause investigations and drive corrective actions through structured test and analysis methods.
- Other duties as assigned
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Required Qualifications - The following qualifications are required for any position:
Education: Minimum education (e.g., Bachelor’s degree in Business or related field).
Experience: Required years of relevant experience (e.g., 5+ yrs project management or sales).
Skills: Key skills for success: Proficiency with tools. Strong communication and teamwork.
Certifications: Any certifications needed or preferred (e.g., PMP, Lean Six Sigma).
- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace, Electrical, or a related discipline.
- 5+ years of experience in reliability, product validation, or mechanical test engineering.