Space Test Engineer

The job

LIVE Employer public job feed (private-sector employer) Source: the employer's public careers feed · Data: listed 2026-10-16

Job description

HawkEye 360 is seeking a Space Test Engineer to join the Assembly, Integration, & Test (AI&T) Team. The Space Team’s mission is to design, build, and test small commercial satellites that provide revolutionary RF geospatial analytics. 

In this role, you will serve as a technical owner for development, improvement, and execution of spacecraft-level test programs. You will modernize existing test procedures, design new ones, and ensure that HawkEye 360’s spacecraft are verified with rigor, efficiency, and engineering excellence. This position requires strong hands-on experience, systems-level awareness, and the ability to design test support equipment that enables reliable validation of complex RF payloads and spacecraft subsystems. 

Your main responsibilities will be: 

• Independently execute unit-level and spacecraft-level functional tests, analyze results, and drive updates to test procedures based on findings. 
• Modernize existing test procedures to increase clarity, efficiency, and coverage.
• Design, plan and execute environmental tests (TVAC, Vibe, EMI/EMC, radiation)
• Design harnessing, electrical and mechanical ground support equipment (EGSE and MGSE) to facilitate I&T work for flatsats and flight hardware
• Collaborate with the software team to execute and implement automated test scripts and framework
• Develop and refine detailed design documents, interface control drawing (ICD’s), test plans, and test procedures across spacecraft subsystems.
• Support launch site integration and test campaigns
• Work with limited oversight in a fast-paced integration and test environment, making informed technical decisions and escalating issues appropriately. 

Skills and Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• 1-5 years professional experience  
• Proficiency in Python or another high-level programming language, preferably for automated testing.
• Experience with CAD software (NX, Solidworks, or similar)
• Strong analytical and strategic skills, with excellent written and presentation abilities.
• Experience developing or improving aerospace test procedures, verification flows, or test infrastructure
• Experience designing or modifying EGSE/MGSE to support spacecraft integration.
• Ability to work onsite and hands-on with spacecraft hardware, following strict ESD and cleanroom protocols. 

 Desirable  

• Interest working in the smallsat or space industry with RF payloads or communication systems.
• Experience handling expensive electronic components (ESD and Cleanroom best practices).
• Experience with Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design using Altium.
• Experience writing technical documentation such as test procedures and test plans
• Experience using lab equipment such as Digital Multimeters, Spectrum Analyzers, Network Analyzers, Signal Generators, and Thermal Chambers
• Strong troubleshooting skills in complex electromechanical or RF systems  

We offer a compensation package that includes a competitive base salary plus annual performance bonus, benefits and equity. We consider many factors when determining salary offers, such as candidate's work experience, education, training & skills, as well as market and business considerations. We are also open to considering candidates with experience and qualifications at a different level than required in a job posting, which may affect the compensation package offered.

Company Overview:

HawkEye 360 is equipping defense, intelligence, and national security leaders with mission-critical signals intelligence to enable faster, better decision making. By detecting, geolocating, and characterizing radio frequency emissions worldwide, HawkEye 360 delivers trusted domain awareness and early warning indicators to the US Government and allied partners. Our space-based collection, proprietary signal processing, and AI-powered analytics transform knowledge of RF spectrum into a strategic advantage. Proven by operational mission success, HawkEye 360 is redefining how signals intelligence strengthens national and global security.

HawkEye 360 is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.

Explore around this job

Field: Engineering, Construction and Energy Sub-niche: Manufacturing and hardware engineering All jobs at HawkEye 360 Jobs in Virginia Jobs in Herndon, VA Herndon city guide Virginia state guide Fairfax County economy

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About the role

This is a — role in the Engineering, Construction and Energy field (Manufacturing and hardware engineering) at HawkEye 360.

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How to prepare and behave

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The city

The job is in Herndon, VA. Below is what the official statistics say about living and working there.

How Herndon compares. Among the 100 largest places in Virginia, Herndon is #47 by population, #26 for household income (#1 = highest), #67 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #64 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, Fairfax County, is #3 of 133 counties for average pay ($114,100).

The place in numbers

Herndon has 24,672 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of Virginia. It covers 4 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 5,756 people per square mile. The median age is 35.1, 10% younger than the state median (35.1 against 39.0).

Housing

The median gross rent is $2,259 a month (rent plus utilities), 43% above the state median ($2,259 against $1,579). Over a year that is 18.3% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $599,100, which is 4.0 times the median household income ($148,000). 62.1% of households own their home, 8% below the state average (62.1% against 67.3%).

Work and pay

The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metropolitan area has 3,136,190 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $71,060 a year, 39% above the national median ($71,060 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are business and financial operations (369,190 jobs, median $105,260); management (319,760 jobs, median $165,010); office and administrative support (290,050 jobs, median $53,250). The area is most specialised in legal (2.6 times) and computer and mathematical (2.2 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are legal ($175,070) and management ($165,010). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Fairfax County was 3.4%. 76.3% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Fairfax County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.

Getting around

Among workers, 55.8% drive alone, 3.6% use public transit, 1.9% walk, 21.2% work from home. 20.1% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 14% above the state average (20.1% against 17.6%).

People and education

53.2% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 26% above the state share (53.2% against 42.2%). 42.2% of residents were born outside the United States, 222% above the state share (42.2% against 13.1%). The poverty rate is 8.1%, 18% below the state rate (8.1% against 9.9%).

Climate

The warmest month is Jul, averaging 78°F (25.6°C), and the coolest is Jan at 31°F (-0.4°C). About 1,117 mm (44 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (120 mm) and Jan the driest (65 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.

Nearby cities to compare

Closest cities in this guide: McNair (2 miles, similar rent); Sterling (3 miles, rent 5% lower); Reston (3 miles, similar rent); Franklin Farm (4 miles, rent 16% higher). Rent differences are against Herndon; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.

Full guide to Herndon →Virginia guideAll jobs in Herndon

Official links for Herndon

• Census Bureau data profile for Herndon
• Official state website: virginia.gov
• BLS Economy at a Glance: Virginia

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Where to live

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Career paths

We could not match this title to one occupation, so here are the other sub-niches in Engineering, Construction and Energy, where your skills may carry over:

Construction and field engineering (462) Energy and utilities (625)

Distances

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The employer

HawkEye 360 is the employer in this listing. See all its open jobs here →

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What it is like to work at a company (culture, schedules, benefits) is not in the source data, so we do not describe it. Read the description and ask the questions under "How to prepare".

Other open jobs at HawkEye 360

Similar jobs

Same sub-niche: Manufacturing and hardware engineering

More jobs in Herndon, VA

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FAQ

What is the Space Test Engineer job at HawkEye 360?

A private-sector role in engineering, construction and energy (manufacturing and hardware engineering) listed 25 days ago. The full description is on this page and on the employer's page.

Where is this job?

Herndon, VA.

How do I apply?

Use the "View this job and apply on the employer's page" button. AtiveSite does not receive applications.

How much does it pay?

The listing does not publish pay, and we could not match the title to one official occupation.

What is the cost of living there?

Median rent in Herndon is $2,259 a month and median household income $148,000 (ACS 2020–2024).

How old is this listing?

It was posted on 2026-10-16 (25 days ago). Jobs older than 90 days are not shown.

Are there similar jobs?

Yes: browse manufacturing and hardware engineering jobs in Virginia.

Sources and terms

• Job data: HawkEye 360 careers page public feed (listing dated 2026-10-16). The job disappears from this site when it disappears from the source.
• Wages and projections: BLS OEWS (May 2025) and Employment Projections 2025–35.
• City and county figures: Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024, BEA, BLS QCEW and LAUS, NASA POWER climatology; distances from Census Gazetteer coordinates.

AtiveSite is not affiliated with or endorsed by the employer or any government agency, and does not process applications. Verify every detail with the employer before acting.

Sources

• BLS OEWS (wages and employment by occupation, May 2025)
• BLS Employment Projections 2025–35
• BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
• BLS JOLTS
• BLS State and Metro Area Employment
• Census Bureau American Community Survey (via Census Reporter)
• BEA GDP by state and Regional Price Parities
• IRS 2026 tax adjustments
• U.S. Department of Labor, minimum wage by state
• Tax Foundation state income tax rates 2026
• USAJOBS
• USCIS
• U.S. Department of State, visas
• NASA POWER climatology
• GeoNames / Census Gazetteer (coordinates)