CareerPlan

Senior Design Validation Engineer, Intelligence Systems

Reston, VA (NOVA-01)Full-time$146k2026-10-08 → 2026-11-11
Security clearance required

Core

Own end-to-end validation of custom hardware designs from electrical engineering teams, proving designs meet requirements before shipping.

Role type

Senior Design Validation Engineer (Hardware)

Builds

Custom hardware test fixtures, test scripts, and validation reports for defense/intelligence systems.

Domain

Defense technology / Hardware engineering / Intelligence Systems

Required skills

Design validation planning, custom hardware fixture design, electronic test equipment operation, root cause analysis, electrical standards knowledge, schematic/PCB interpretation, test automation scripting, interface validation (Ethernet, CAN, I2C, SPI, PCIe, USB), MCU/CPU/FPGA bring-up, analog/digital electronics knowledge

Preferred skills

High volume production validation, MIL-STD-810 environmental qualification, MIL-STD-461 EMI/EMC testing, signal/power integrity validation, ruggedized/deployed environment validation, SCPI/VISA test frameworks

Technologies

Oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum/network analyzers, power supplies/loads, data acquisition systems, Python, C/C++, SCPI, VISA

Responsibilities

Partner with cross-functional hardware, firmware, FPGA, and systems teams to plan and execute validation; Develop validation plans mapping design requirements to specific tests and pass/fail criteria; Design and build custom hardware fixtures and supporting software/firmware; Identify, specify, and configure electronic test equipment; Execute design verification and qualification activities in a hardware lab; Drive root cause analysis on validation failures; Document validation results and author reports supporting program milestones

Seniority

Senior, hands-on IC