Senior Hardware Test Automation Engineer, Capella Space
$137.8-172.2k
More information about location
Space-based radar Earth observation satellites
Posted today
Space-based radar Earth observation satellites
201-500 employees
Posted today
$137.8-172.2k
More information about location
201-500 employees
Company mission
To make timely Earth observation an essential tool for commerce, conservation, and well-being.
Role
Who you are
- 5+ years of experience in a similar role
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical field, or equivalent practical experience
- Proficiency in Python for test scripting and automation
- Familiarity with lab equipment (oscilloscopes, power supplies, spectrum/network analyzers, etc.) and control interfaces (GPIB, Ethernet, USB)
- Strong problem-solving and debugging skills in a hardware-centric environment
- Ability to work hands-on with test setups, cabling, and instrumentation
Desirable
- Experience testing aerospace or other high-reliability hardware systems
- Knowledge of embedded systems interfaces and protocols (UART, SPI, I²C, CAN, SpaceWire, etc.)
- Experience with continuous integration systems and automated test execution pipelines (Gitlab preferred)
- Familiarity with data analysis libraries (NumPy, pandas, matplotlib) for test result processing
- Strong documentation and communication skills, with an emphasis on reproducibility and rigor
What the job involves
- As a Hardware Test Automation Engineer on the Satellite Hardware Test team, you will design and develop automated test scripts and frameworks that validate the performance and reliability of spacecraft hardware
- Working closely with electrical engineers, FPGA developers, and flight software teams, you will help ensure that every subsystem — from power distribution to communications — is thoroughly exercised and verified before launch
- Your contributions will directly support mission success by enabling rapid, repeatable, and reliable testing of hardware at scale
- Develop and maintain automated test scripts (primarily in Python) to control lab equipment, run procedures, and validate hardware behavior
- Create reusable frameworks and libraries for test automation across multiple hardware subsystems
- Collaborate with hardware engineers to design test cases that capture functional requirements, corner cases, and fault conditions
- Execute hardware test campaigns, analyze results, and identify root causes of anomalies
- Interface with flight software and ground software teams to ensure cohesive test interfaces
- Document test procedures, results, and configurations for traceability and reproducibility
- Contribute to continuous improvement of test infrastructure, tools, and processes
Our take
Earth observation in the form of satellite imagery is in high demand. With climate change, supply chain, and defense operations all requiring high-quality observation data, the race is on to provide the clearest, most timely images - and Capella Space is one private company leading the charge.
Capella Space commands a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellation in low-earth orbit that clients can use to access real-time visibility of facts on the ground. It’s the first US company to do so, and has won a correspondingly leading slate of customers that include the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, the U.S. Air Force, Geospatial, and RSI.
As the urgency of addressing global issues increases, the demand for Capella Space’s services is almost certain to rise. This puts the company in a great position to pursue further success, having already established itself as a key player in the market. It has also seen good funding that will help expand its imaging capacity and develop new data products, and has become one of the first commercial earth observation companies to secure a contract to work with the government on its program to boost US resilience in space.
Freddie
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
11% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 6 rounds)
Jan 2023
$60m
GROWTH EQUITY VC
Apr 2022
$97m
SERIES C
Total funding: $234m
Company benefits
- Medical/Dental/Vision
- Disability and Life Insurance
- 401k plan
- Equity
- Health Care, Dependent Care FSAs
- Commuter/Parking Flex Spending
- Flexible Vacation Policy
- In-Office Lunch Program
- Dog Friendly Work Environment (SF)
Company HQ
Mission District, San Francisco, CA
Leadership
Payam Banazadeh
(Board Member & Founder)Worked in software development at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, ultimately taking up a Lead Project Engineer role there. Subsequently worked as a Project Manager at Stanford. Is now a member of advisory committees at the NOAA and University of Texas, Austin, as well as a Board Member at the National Security Space Association (NSSA).
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