R&D Technician - Aerospace Systems

The R&D Technician, Aerospace Systems is responsible for the assembly, integration, instrumentation, testing, and troubleshooting of advanced aerospace hardware and subsystems. Working closely with Aerospace, Mechanical, Electrical, and Systems Engineers, the technician will transform design concepts into functional prototypes, support development testing, and validate system performance in laboratory and field environments.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assemble, integrate, and support testing of aerospace components, subsystems, and prototype hardware.
• Install and configure sensors, instrumentation, wiring harnesses, and data acquisition (DAQ) systems.
• Execute laboratory, environmental, qualification, and field tests on aerospace development programs.
• Perform troubleshooting and diagnostics of mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and instrumentation systems.
• Conduct functional, performance, and reliability testing to verify design requirements and engineering specifications.
• Fabricate, modify, and maintain test fixtures, tooling, ground support equipment, and laboratory apparatus.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to identify root causes of failures and implement corrective actions.
• Maintain test equipment calibration, laboratory assets, and engineering documentation in accordance with company and industry standards.
• Support system integration activities, including hardware checkout, verification, and readiness testing.

Skills and Abilities:

• Strong hands-on experience with aerospace, electromechanical, or high-reliability hardware assembly and testing.
• Proficiency with instrumentation including pressure, temperature, flow, strain, vibration, and electrical measurements.
• Experience wiring, terminating, troubleshooting, and validating electrical and sensor systems.
• Ability to diagnose mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and basic electrical issues using structured troubleshooting techniques.
• Familiarity with data acquisition systems, sensor calibration, and test automation tools.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, schematics, wiring diagrams, and test procedures.

Education and Experience:

• Associate degree in Aerospace Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Electronics Technology, or related technical discipline; equivalent military or industry experience will also be considered.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in aerospace, defense, aviation, propulsion, fluid systems, or other high-reliability engineering environments.
• Significant experience with assembly, integration, testing, and operation of fluid-mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, or propulsion-related systems.
• Hands-on proficiency using fabrication tools, machine shop equipment, instrumentation, and laboratory test systems.
• Working knowledge of aerospace development, manufacturing, qualification, and verification testing processes.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with environmental testing such as vibration, thermal vacuum, thermal cycling, shock, or altitude testing.
• Exposure to FAA, NASA, DoD, AS9100, or other aerospace quality and compliance frameworks is desirable.

Other Requirements:

• Due to contracts with the United States Government, the candidate must be either a US Citizen or Green card holder.
• Demonstrated ability and willingness to use AI tools to improve productivity, decision-marking, work quality, and to reduce costs. The successful candidate must be able to identify appropriate AI use cases and critically evaluate AI-generated outputs.