Senior Hardware Test Automation Engineer

About Capella

Capella, an IonQ company, spans national security, advanced sensing, and next-generation compute to deliver secure, mission-ready intelligence. Capella’s culture is built on collaboration, rigorous engineering, and a shared commitment to delivering solutions that strengthen global stability and security. Team members work side-by-side with some of the most innovative minds in space systems, quantum-enabled technologies, and mission-critical operations.

Capella values curiosity, resilience, and a willingness to tackle hard problems with precision and creativity. Capella welcomes and encourages applicants whose perspectives are historically underrepresented in technology, national security, and aerospace. No prior space experience is required. Diverse viewpoints strengthen Capella’s ability to innovate and deliver meaningful impact for partners worldwide.

Location: This role is based onsite at our office in Louisville, CO.

Travel: Up to 10%, domestic

Job ID: 1759

The Role:

As a Senior Hardware Test Automation Engineer on the Space Systems Development Test Engineering team, you will lead development of automated hardware test capabilities and execute verification and validation campaigns. You will work closely with electrical, mechanical, and software teams to drive integrated test development and execution across every satellite subsystem. From power distribution to communications with autonomy and accountability. Your contributions will directly support mission success by enabling rapid, repeatable, and reliable testing of hardware at scale.

Responsibilities:

• Own automated test development from concept through deployment for new hardware.
• Develop and maintain automated test capabilities (primarily in Python) to control lab equipment, run procedures, and verify and validate hardware behavior.
• Create reusable frameworks and libraries for test automation across multiple hardware subsystems.
• Collaborate with hardware engineers to design test cases that capture functional requirements, corner cases, and fault conditions.
• Execute hardware test campaigns, analyze results, and identify root causes of anomalies.
• Interface with flight software and ground software teams to ensure cohesive test interfaces.
• Document test procedures, results, and configurations for traceability and reproducibility.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of test infrastructure, tools, and processes.

Requirements:

• 6+ years of experience in a similar role
• Bachelor’s degree in electrical/computer engineering, Computer Science, or related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience with version control (Git) and CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience with aerospace, defense, semiconductor, robotics, or other complex hardware systems.
• Proficiency with hands-on hardware testing of electrical or mechanical systems, subsystems, or components.
• Proficiency in Python for test scripting and automation.
• Familiarity with lab equipment (oscilloscopes, power supplies, spectrum/network analyzers, etc.) and control interfaces (GPIB, Ethernet, USB).
• Strong problem-solving and debugging skills in a hardware-centric environment.
• Ability to work hands-on with test setups, cabling, and instrumentation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience testing aerospace or other high-reliability hardware systems.
• Knowledge of Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing methodologies.
• Knowledge of embedded systems interfaces and protocols (UART, SPI, I²C, CAN, SpaceWire, etc.).
• Experience with continuous integration systems and automated test execution pipelines (Gitlab preferred). Experience with version control (Git) and CI/CD pipelines.
• Familiarity with data analysis libraries (NumPy, pandas, matplotlib) for test result processing.
• Familiarity with data visualization or graphical interface libraries (Matplotlib, Plotly, PyQt, Grafana).
• Strong documentation and communication skills, with an emphasis on reproducibility and rigor.

Compensation

The total compensation package includes base salary, bonus, equity, and a range of benefits available on our career site.