Vehicle Test Engineer
Powerus · Rock Hill, South Carolina, United States
FULL TIMEpermanent
Job Description
About Powerus
Qualifications, skills, and all relevant experience needed for this role can be found in the full description below.
Powerus is building a next-generation American autonomous systems platform designed to move, protect, and sustain critical assets in high-consequence environments. The company combines advanced autonomy, manufacturing capability, operational expertise, and strategic acquisitions to support defense, national security, critical infrastructure, and commercial operations globally.
Mission
Our mission is to deliver resilient autonomous technologies that strengthen national security, improve operational safety, and expand the capabilities of organizations operating in complex environments.
Why Join Powerus
Nothing about an unmanned aircraft is known until it is flown. Test is where design intent meets weather, wear, and the way operators actually use the thing.
This role owns the evidence. You will plan and run the ground and flight test that decides whether a configuration is ready, and produce the data that engineering trusts.
Position Overview
Powerus is seeking a Vehicle Test Engineer to plan, execute, and analyse ground and flight test across our platforms. You will develop test plans, instrument aircraft, run test events safely, and turn the resulting data into findings engineering can act on. You will work across GNC, structures, embedded, and manufacturing, and spend meaningful time at the test site rather than at a desk.
Key Responsibilities
Develop test plans, procedures, and acceptance criteria for ground and flight testInstrument aircraft and configure data acquisition and telemetry for test objectivesExecute ground test, hardware-in-the-loop, and flight test events safely and repeatablyAnalyse flight and test data and report findings to engineering with supporting evidenceMaintain test infrastructure, fixtures, and environmental and vibration test capabilitySupport envelope expansion, configuration qualification, and acceptance testingInvestigate anomalies and field failures with root cause analysisMaintain test records, configuration traceability, and safety documentationQualifications
Must be located in the United States, within commuting distance of Rock Hill, SCDegree in an engineering discipline, or equivalent hands-on test experienceExperience planning and executing test on vehicles, aircraft, or complex hardwareData analysis proficiency, including Python or MATLAB for log and telemetry analysisHands-on experience with instrumentation and data acquisitionWillingness to work outdoors and travel to test sitesU.S. Person status required (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)); this role involves access to ITAR- and EAR-controlled technical dataPreferred Qualifications
UAV flight test experience and FAA Part 107 certificationExperience with envelope expansion or first-flight campaignsFamiliarity with vibration, environmental, or EMI qualification testingExperience with flight log analysis from PX4, ArduPilot, or similarPrior military or operational aviation backgroundWhat We Look For
We are looking for discipline and judgement. Test engineering is where optimism costs the most, and the people who do well here will stop a test point when the data does not support it. You should be methodical about procedure and comfortable being the person who says the aircraft is not ready. xzbcwsv
Equal Opportunity Statement
Powerus is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and mission-driven workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
Qualifications, skills, and all relevant experience needed for this role can be found in the full description below.
Powerus is building a next-generation American autonomous systems platform designed to move, protect, and sustain critical assets in high-consequence environments. The company combines advanced autonomy, manufacturing capability, operational expertise, and strategic acquisitions to support defense, national security, critical infrastructure, and commercial operations globally.
Mission
Our mission is to deliver resilient autonomous technologies that strengthen national security, improve operational safety, and expand the capabilities of organizations operating in complex environments.
Why Join Powerus
Nothing about an unmanned aircraft is known until it is flown. Test is where design intent meets weather, wear, and the way operators actually use the thing.
This role owns the evidence. You will plan and run the ground and flight test that decides whether a configuration is ready, and produce the data that engineering trusts.
Position Overview
Powerus is seeking a Vehicle Test Engineer to plan, execute, and analyse ground and flight test across our platforms. You will develop test plans, instrument aircraft, run test events safely, and turn the resulting data into findings engineering can act on. You will work across GNC, structures, embedded, and manufacturing, and spend meaningful time at the test site rather than at a desk.
Key Responsibilities
Develop test plans, procedures, and acceptance criteria for ground and flight testInstrument aircraft and configure data acquisition and telemetry for test objectivesExecute ground test, hardware-in-the-loop, and flight test events safely and repeatablyAnalyse flight and test data and report findings to engineering with supporting evidenceMaintain test infrastructure, fixtures, and environmental and vibration test capabilitySupport envelope expansion, configuration qualification, and acceptance testingInvestigate anomalies and field failures with root cause analysisMaintain test records, configuration traceability, and safety documentationQualifications
Must be located in the United States, within commuting distance of Rock Hill, SCDegree in an engineering discipline, or equivalent hands-on test experienceExperience planning and executing test on vehicles, aircraft, or complex hardwareData analysis proficiency, including Python or MATLAB for log and telemetry analysisHands-on experience with instrumentation and data acquisitionWillingness to work outdoors and travel to test sitesU.S. Person status required (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)); this role involves access to ITAR- and EAR-controlled technical dataPreferred Qualifications
UAV flight test experience and FAA Part 107 certificationExperience with envelope expansion or first-flight campaignsFamiliarity with vibration, environmental, or EMI qualification testingExperience with flight log analysis from PX4, ArduPilot, or similarPrior military or operational aviation backgroundWhat We Look For
We are looking for discipline and judgement. Test engineering is where optimism costs the most, and the people who do well here will stop a test point when the data does not support it. You should be methodical about procedure and comfortable being the person who says the aircraft is not ready. xzbcwsv
Equal Opportunity Statement
Powerus is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and mission-driven workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
Details
| Company | Powerus |
| Location | Rock Hill, South Carolina, United States |
| Type | FULL TIME |
| Niche | general |
| Experience | permanent |