Senior Propulsion Test Engineer, Lightship
$120-160k
More information about location
Electric RV manufacturer
Job no longer available
Electric RV manufacturer
21-100 employees
Job no longer available
$120-160k
More information about location
21-100 employees
Company mission
Lightspeed's mission is to electrify the RV.
Role
Who you are
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field. Advanced degree is a plus
- Minimum of 4 years of experience in vehicle or electric propulsion system test planning and execution. Experience with rotating machinery and gearboxes is a plus
- Enthusiastic about designing and executing validation, durability, and reliability testing programs for electric power systems
- Experience building harnesses and test fixtures in a prototype development environment
- Hands=on experience with sensing/instrumentation techniques and data acquisition systems
- Extensive knowledge of electric motors, including controls, thermal, and mechanical characteristics
- Experience with CAN network analysis and various types motor control system
- In-depth knowledge of vehicle systems, including electric motors, powertrain dynos, chassis, electrical, and safety systems
- Demonstrated ability to lead and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams to achieve project goals
- Exceptional problem-solving skills and attention to detail, with the ability to identify and troubleshoot issues during testing
- Comfortable towing or learning to tow a 27ft travel trailer (we will help train you!)
What the job involves
- At Lightship, we are revolutionizing the future of RVing, and we are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Propulsion Test Engineer to join our dynamic team in San Francisco, CA
- As a critical member on our test engineering team, you will play a crucial role in the development and validation of the propulsion system on our purpose-built electric RV
- Own the design, development, and execution of comprehensive propulsion and power system testing programs, including product and requirements validation, safety, and reliability testing
- Work in partnership with a small team of engineers and engineering technicians to complete propulsion and power system bring-up and integration efforts
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including design, engineering, and manufacturing, to define test requirements, develop test plans, and execute tests effectively
- Designs and utilize off-the-shelf test equipment, sensors, instrumentation techniques and software for vehicle-level data acquisition and analysis
- Organize and execute offsite field-testing excursions to testing tracks, campgrounds, or other remote areas
- Analyze and interpret data and results to identify product issues, and provide actionable recommendations to cross-functional teams to drive product improvement
- Drive continuous improvement in testing methodologies, processes, and tools to optimize efficiency and effectiveness
Our take
Mobile homes and camper vans have become a great way to travel and vacation at a lower cost and carbon footprint. However, there is still an efficiency problem with the vehicles involved. Due to the extra weight that a trailer creates, vehicles become less energy-efficient in their mileage. Lightship RVs aim to solve that problem with their range of RVs, maximising mileage efficiency and creating comfortable trailer units in the process.
Founded by former Tesla engineers, the purpose-built travel trailers Lightship is building have their own self-propulsion system that enables near-zero loss in mile-per-gallon efficiency for the vehicle it’s attached to. With an 80 kWh battery installed in the trailer, it can ensure that a 300-mile range electric vehicle remains just that. In the process, this reduces the anxiety associated with the possibility of a trailer decreasing the mileage per charge.
It is early days for Lightship, which was founded in 2020, with its first edition AE1 Cosmos released in 2024. The proof will be in the sales then, but with $61 million in funding to accelerate its development, Lightship’s road to success looks smooth.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Company
Funding (last 2 of 3 rounds)
Dec 2025
$23m
SERIES C
Jan 2024
$34m
SERIES B
Total funding: $80.1m
Company benefits
- Healthcare, Dental, Vision (full time only)
- 401k
- Unlimited Paid Time Off that we actually want you to use! 3-4 weeks is common at Lightship
- 12 weeks paid parental leave
- $2,000 per year towards an RV trip of your own, we call this a LightTrip (full time only)
Company HQ
Broomfield, CO
Leadership
Toby Kraus
(Co-Founder & CEO)Previously Entrepreneur in Residence at Eclipse Ventures, Vice President at Proterra, Senior Manager at Tesla, and Investment Banking Analyst at Morgan Stanley.
Benjamin Parker
(Co-Founder & CPO)Previously a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer at Tesla and Team Leader at Dartmouth Formula Racing.
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