Hardware-in-the-Loop Engineer (Defense)

TL;DR

Hardware-in-the-Loop Engineer (Embedded/Defense): Designing and maintaining HIL simulation environments for Effector platforms with an accent on system integration, flight hardware validation, and automated testing. Focus on bridging the gap between software development and flight hardware to ensure vehicle reliability before field deployment.

Location: On-site in Hawthorne, CA, United States

Salary: $130,000 – $190,000

Company

Defense technology company redefining modern defense with Coherent Distributed Networks (CDN™) to empower warfighters and border protection teams.

What you will do

• Design and develop HIL test benches for full effector system integration, including flight controllers and sensors.
• Integrate high-fidelity simulation models (flight dynamics, actuator, sensor) to replicate real-world behavior.
• Integrate autopilot boards, communication links, and power systems into HIL environments.
• Develop automated test suites and regression frameworks to validate software and firmware changes.
• Collaborate with GNC, software, and systems engineers to define test plans and acceptance criteria.
• Debug complex hardware-software interactions by analyzing HIL test data and telemetry.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience in HIL testing or embedded systems integration.
• Proficiency in real-time simulation platforms such as dSPACE or NI VeriStand.
• Strong programming skills in Python and/or C/C++ for test automation.
• Familiarity with flight controller software (PX4, ArduPilot) and protocols (MAVLink, CAN, UART, SPI, I2C).
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

Nice to have

• Master's degree in Engineering.
• Experience with ROS or ROS 2 for simulation and integration testing.
• Familiarity with MATLAB/Simulink for flight dynamics or control system modeling.
• Experience with FPGA firmware development or embedded Linux environments.
• FAA Part 107 certification or equivalent UAV credentials.

Culture & Benefits

• 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision benefits.
• 401k with 50% company match up to 6% of pay, HSA, and FSA.
• Unlimited PTO and 'No meeting Fridays'.
• Free daily lunch and casual dress code.
• Generous pre-IPO stock option grants and relocation assistance.