Principal Integration & Test Engineer

Position Title:Principal Integration & Test (I&T) Engineer Space Payloads
Requisition ID:1846
Position Location:Chantilly VA
Position Reports To:Senior Manager Integration & Test Engineering
Supervises Others:No

At Trident Systems Space Electronic Systems (SES) division we believe in the power of using strong engineering principles to drive innovation and solve complex problems. We foster a culture of rigorous engineering and continuous improvement leveraging the full knowledge of our organization through collaborative product development processes that include design and peer reviews. We combine our expertise in space electronics with right-sized development processes to create innovative high-performance space-based electronic systems that meet our customers evolving needs.

We are a mission partner supporting DoD Intelligence Community and Civil space customers. We develop complex radiation effects mitigated designs that balance competing requirements in modern space programs delivering cutting-edge solutions that enable our customers to achieve more in space.

Position Summary

We are seeking a Principal Integration & Test (I&T) Engineer to support the development integration debugging and verification of space payload systems. This role requires a hands-on engineer who can work across software firmware and electronics to troubleshoot complex system issues and ensure payload readiness for lab environmental and flight test activities.

The ideal candidate is comfortable at the hardware/software boundary and able to isolate problems perform root-cause analysis and support system bring-up for advanced payloads operating in space environments.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Integrate and test space payload hardware and software in development qualification and flight-like configurations.
• Debug and troubleshoot issues spanning application software embedded software FPGA/firmware interfaces electronics sensors and communication links.
• Support bring-up of payload electronics processors FPGAs data interfaces and support equipment.
• Investigate failures during integration and test using lab equipment logs telemetry and software/firmware diagnostics.
• Use lab equipment such as oscilloscopes logic analyzers power supplies DMMs protocol analyzers and signal generators to diagnose hardware and interface issues.
• Support checkout and debugging of interfaces such as SPI I2C UART RS-422/485 Ethernet SpaceWire CAN and other mission-specific buses.
• Work closely with software firmware electrical systems and mechanical engineers to resolve integration issues and improve design robustness.
• Document test results anomalies troubleshooting steps and corrective actions to support formal verification and flight readiness reviews.
• Assist with system-level and environmental testing including functional test thermal vacuum vibration EMI/EMC and mission simulations.
• Contribute to development of testbeds lab infrastructure automated test tools and debug processes.
• Support configuration management and ensure testing is performed against the correct hardware firmware and software baselines.
• Ability to support travel or off-site work as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering Computer Engineering Computer Science Aerospace Engineering or related field (OR equivalent years of experience / combined education).
• 9 or more years of related experience.
• Experience integrating and testing embedded systems avionics or aerospace hardware.
• Ability to debug across software firmware and electronics.
• Experience reading and interpreting schematics ICDs test procedures requirements and design documentation.
• Experience with embedded debugging tools logs telemetry and lab instrumentation.
• Familiarity with C/C Python or similar scripting languages for test automation and troubleshooting.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with space payloads spacecraft avionics or mission-critical embedded systems.
• Experience debugging FPGA-based systems and firmware-controlled electronics.
• Familiarity with Linux-based embedded systems RTOS or board bring-up.
• Experience supporting TVAC vibration or EMI/EMC test campaigns.
• Knowledge of space-qualified components radiation-tolerant electronics or flight hardware processes.
• Experience with requirements verification anomaly reporting and formal test documentation.
• Familiarity with CI/CD automated test frameworks HIL testing or lab automation.

Pay Information

Full-Time Salary Range: $101000 - $188000

Please Note: Actual compensation offered will be determined based on several factors including but not limited to relevant experience skills education certifications internal equity business considerations and geographic location where applicable.

Benefits

Hired applicants may be eligible for benefits including but not limited to:

• Health benefits
  • Medical
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • Basic life with AD&D
  • Short term disability
  • Long term disability
  • Ancillary (Voluntary life with AD&D accident critical illness hospital and pet)
  • Spending accounts (HSA FSA and DCFSA)
• Paid time off
• Holidays
• 401(k) (including company match)
• Tuition reimbursement
• Leaves (Parental maternity and military)
• Annual discretionary bonus (for eligible roles)
  
  

Trident Systems reserves the right to change or assign other duties to this position.

Trident Solutions is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race color religion age sex national origin disability status genetics protected veteran status sexual orientation gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local laws. To request reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process please contact.

Pay Transparency: The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about discussed or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge (b) in furtherance of an investigation proceeding hearing or action including an investigation conducted by the employer or (c) consistent with the contractors legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)