Lead Test Engineer (Fluids and Mechanical Systems)

There was a time when all of America believed that the future of the physical world could be radically different. The engineers of the mid-1900s put a man on the moon in eight years, designed and built planes and submarines from scratch in under three, and conceived of building things we wouldn’t even be able to dream up today.

Today, the last of the engineers who imagined and built these systems are retiring. As they go, we lose not only the engineering knowledge gained from their decades of imagination and trial-and-error, but also the spirit that made that imagination possible.

Amca is working day-in and day-out to restore America’s ability to engineer anything that our critical systems depend on, and reinvigorate the cycle of creation that allows imagination to shape physical reality. We rapidly develop and manufacture new critical components and subsystems required to build and sustain the planes, military vehicles, and core infrastructure America needs. By restoring the capability of our antiquated supply chains, we increase the country’s capacity to imagine and realize new systems, and make a physical world that looks very different from today.

Lead Test Engineer – Fluids & Mechanical Systems

Role Summary

The Lead Test Engineer owns test engineering strategy and execution across both fluids (hydraulic, pneumatic, propulsion component) and mechanical (structural, prototype-to-production) test programs. This role bridges design and proof for the team's full testing scope while also leading and developing the engineers who carry out that work — setting technical direction, building test capability, and growing the people on the team.

Key Responsibilities

Test Strategy and Program Ownership

• Own testing process, hardware, and procedures across prototype qualification and production acceptance testing for both fluid systems and mechanical/structural hardware
• Develop test methodology aligned with industry standards, evaluate commercial versus in-house test capability options, and plan equipment and facility upgrades
• Establish company-wide testing and design policies, and set the technical standards the team works against

Test Design, Instrumentation, and Execution

• Design and manage test stand infrastructure — test rigs, fixtures, and fluid loops for hydraulic and pneumatic hardware — and create custom tooling for both fluids and mechanical applications
• Specify instrumentation and data acquisition systems for flow, pressure, temperature, position, and structural measurement, and develop detailed test procedures for development, qualification, and acceptance testing
• Lead flow, pressure, leakage, proof, burst, endurance, environmental, and structural assembly testing, including qualification campaigns against DO-160 and MIL-STD requirements, while ensuring safe practices for high-pressure and hazardous-fluid operations

Analysis and Reporting

• Reduce and analyze test data with uncertainty quantification, author test reports, and lead root cause analysis on failures
• Support prototype development in the in-house R&D laboratory and feed findings back into design in collaboration with engineering and production teams

Team Leadership and Facilitation

• Set technical direction for the fluids and mechanical test engineers on the team — reviewing test plans and results, coaching on methodology, and unblocking their work
• Manage and grow the team, including hiring, performance management, and career development, and represent test engineering cross-functionally with design, production, and program management

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in aerospace, mechanical, manufacturing, or materials engineering
• 5+ years of experience in test engineering spanning fluids (hydraulic/pneumatic) and mechanical/structural hardware
• Experience leading, mentoring, or managing engineers, with a track record of developing team capability
• Hands-on experience with test rig design, instrumentation, and data acquisition systems
• Strong foundation in mechanical engineering fundamentals: thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and static mechanics
• Strong understanding of fluid measurement, uncertainty analysis, and test data reduction
• Experience planning and executing qualification test campaigns

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in a relevant engineering discipline
• People management experience in an engineering organization
• GD&T proficiency
• Experience with LabVIEW, Python, MATLAB, or similar DAQ and test automation tools
• Familiarity with DO-160 environmental testing and MIL-STD test methods
• Experience testing servo valves, actuators, or high-pressure fluid systems
• Siemens NX or comparable CAD software
• Experience across multiple manufacturing sites

Annual Salary Range

$135,000 — $200,000 USD

This position requires use of information which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). All applicants must be U.S. persons within the meaning of ITAR. ITAR defines a US person as: any individual who is granted U.S. citizenship; or. any individual who is granted U.S. permanent residence ("Green Card" holder); or. any individual who is granted status as a "protected person" under 8 U.S.C 1324b(a)(3).

The Advanced Manufacturing Company of America prohibits discrimination or harassment based on the following categories: race, color, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 years and over), sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status, protected medical leaves (requesting or approved for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act or the California Family Rights Act), domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, and any other status protected by state or federal law.