Director of Test Engineering
Aircapture · Berkeley, CA
- On site
- Full-time
- $205,000 / year
- Berkeley, CA
Job highlights
- Lead test and validation for climate technology.
- Build world-class quality and reliability.
- Own system-level performance testing.
- Develop and lead a high-performing team.
- Drive innovation from R&D to commercial.
About the role
Director of Test Engineering
At Aircapture, we are building technology to address the climate crisis by capturing CO₂ from the atmosphere. We provide clean CO₂ to commercial and industrial customers, aiming to improve the environment, economy, and lives. We value a diverse team with varied backgrounds to achieve our goals.
Role Overview
The Director of Test Engineering will lead the test and validation function, crucial for transitioning Aircapture's technology from R&D to commercial deployment. This role involves owning system-level performance testing, defining measurement standards for our Direct Air Capture (DAC) systems, and building a world-class quality and reliability capability. Performance understanding, repeatability, and reliability are core to our learning, improvement, and scaling processes. We seek a hands-on technical leader passionate about building a lasting impact at a pioneering climate technology company.
This is an onsite position at our development and production facility in Berkeley, California.
Responsibilities
- Own and operate test labs, establishing data and reporting standards across platforms.
- Lead and develop a high-performing test and reliability team, setting priorities, driving execution, and implementing best practices.
- Drive system-level testing of First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) DAC prototypes, including design envelope and full performance characterization.
- Define and own system performance metrics, collaborating cross-functionally as the expert on system performance and data interpretation.
- Manage the data pipeline for test and operational data, from instrumentation to historian and analysis.
- Design and implement Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT) and Accelerated Life Testing (ALT) for components and sub-systems.
- Build Aircapture’s quality foundation, including repeatability, Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) requirements, and scaling towards manufacturing.
- Develop data-driven reliability models, encompassing degradation, design-life validation, and predictive maintenance inputs.
- Translate test results into actionable feedback for design and operations teams.
Skills and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Physics, or a related field; Master’s preferred.
- 8+ years in test engineering, systems testing, or experimental R&D with end-to-end ownership of hardware test programs.
- Experience managing and developing engineering teams, including hiring, mentoring, and driving performance in fast-paced, technical environments.
- Strong physics-based understanding of thermofluid and electro-mechanical systems.
- Proven ability to define meaningful performance metrics and build systems to measure them.
- Strong instrumentation and Data Acquisition (DAQ) expertise, coupled with advanced analytical skills and ability to work closely with data engineering.
- Background in quality/reliability systems (e.g., FAT, reliability testing, failure analysis, early-stage Quality Management System Standards (QMSS)).
- Self-directed and decisive in ambiguous environments; takes full ownership from scoping through delivery.
- Excellent cross-functional communicator; translates data into insight and advocates effectively.
- Bonus: Industrial or energy hardware experience, scaling test/quality functions, reliability engineering, or predictive maintenance.
Aircapture is committed to creating a safe, inclusive, equitable, and diverse workplace where every teammate's unique contributions strengthen our collective capabilities.
Key skills/competency
- Test Engineering
- Systems Testing
- Reliability Engineering
- Data Acquisition
- Performance Metrics
- Team Leadership
- Quality Systems
- Direct Air Capture
- Climate Technology
- Hardware Testing
Skills & topics
- Director of Test Engineering
- Test Engineering
- Systems Testing
- Reliability Engineering
- Quality Assurance
- Hardware Testing
- Data Acquisition
- Climate Tech
- Mechanical Engineering
- Berkeley Jobs
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight your experience in systems testing, team leadership, and reliability engineering, using keywords from the Director of Test Engineering job description.
- Showcase your impact: Quantify your achievements in previous roles, especially in hardware test programs and scaling quality functions at Aircapture.
- Demonstrate technical depth: Emphasize your physics-based understanding, instrumentation, and DAQ expertise, and your ability to define and measure performance metrics.
- Prepare for interviews: Be ready to discuss your experience managing engineering teams, your approach to ambiguous environments, and your communication skills in translating complex data into actionable insights for Aircapture.
- Express passion for the mission: Clearly articulate your enthusiasm for Aircapture's climate technology goals and how your leadership can contribute to their success.
Technical preparation
Master thermofluid and electro-mechanical systems physics.,Gain expertise in instrumentation and DAQ systems.,Practice defining and measuring key performance metrics.,Study quality/reliability systems and failure analysis.
Behavioral questions
Describe leading and developing engineering teams.,How do you handle ambiguity and drive ownership?,Explain a time you translated data into insight.,How would you build a quality foundation from scratch?
Frequently asked questions
- What is the primary focus of the Director of Test Engineering role at Aircapture?
- The primary focus is to lead and build Aircapture's test and validation function, ensuring system-level performance, quality, and reliability as the company scales its Direct Air Capture technology from R&D to commercialization.
- What specific technical skills are most critical for the Director of Test Engineering at Aircapture?
- Critical technical skills include a strong physics-based understanding of thermofluid and electro-mechanical systems, expertise in instrumentation and Data Acquisition (DAQ), defining performance metrics, and experience with quality/reliability systems like FAT and HALT/ALT.
- Does Aircapture require a Master's degree for the Director of Test Engineering position?
- While a Bachelor's degree in a relevant engineering or science field is required, a Master's degree is preferred for the Director of Test Engineering role.
- What kind of team will the Director of Test Engineering manage at Aircapture?
- You will lead and develop a high-performing test and reliability engineering team. This includes hiring, mentoring, setting priorities, driving execution, and establishing best practices as the team and company scale.
- How does Aircapture support diversity and inclusion in its hiring process for the Director of Test Engineering role?
- Aircapture is committed to creating a safe, inclusive, equitable, and diverse workplace. They believe that a team with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints strengthens the company and its ability to achieve its goals.
- What is the expected career growth for a Director of Test Engineering at Aircapture?
- As a Director of Test Engineering at Aircapture, you will have the opportunity to build a foundational capability within a groundbreaking climate technology company. Growth will involve scaling the test and quality functions, contributing to significant technological advancements, and shaping the company's product development lifecycle.
- What does 'FOAK DAC prototypes' mean in the context of the Director of Test Engineering job description?
- 'FOAK' stands for First-of-a-Kind. In this context, it refers to the initial, novel prototypes of the Direct Air Capture (DAC) systems that Aircapture is developing. System-level testing of these prototypes is a key responsibility.
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