The Senior Test Engineer provides leadership and oversight for test engineering activities on a complex technical program and is responsible for managing the test engineering team, developing test strategies and plans, and coordinating closely with government test management. This position leads the planning, preparation, execution, analysis, and reporting of developmental, integration, system, qualification, and operational test activities to ensure systems and capabilities are verified and validated against program requirements. The Senior Test Engineer works across systems engineering, software engineering, hardware engineering, cybersecurity, logistics, operations, and program management teams to ensure test efforts are technically sound, well coordinated, and aligned with contractual, operational, and customer objectives. The role combines hands-on test engineering expertise with team leadership, customer coordination, and program-level test management support.
Responsibilities- Lead and manage the test engineering team in support of a complex technical program.
- Develop and maintain integrated test strategies, master test plans, detailed test plans, procedures, schedules, and supporting test documentation.
- Coordinate with government test management to align program test activities with customer expectations, test events, reporting requirements, and approval processes.
- Provide oversight of test planning, test readiness, test execution, discrepancy management, data analysis, and final reporting.
- Ensure traceability between system requirements, verification methods, test procedures, test results, and closure evidence.
- Coordinate test activities across software, hardware, systems engineering, cybersecurity, logistics, operations, and external stakeholders.
- Lead test readiness reviews, test working groups, post-test reviews, and discrepancy resolution meetings.
- Support development of test objectives, entry and exit criteria, success measures, resource requirements, and risk mitigation plans.
- Oversee execution of integration, system, qualification, acceptance, and operational test events, as applicable.
- Review test results, deficiency reports, observations, and corrective actions to ensure technical accuracy and completeness.
- Support test environment planning, configuration management, instrumentation, data collection, and resource coordination.
- Track test progress, issues, risks, schedules, and team assignments and report status to program and customer leadership.
- Support customer demonstrations, government witnessing, formal verification events, and milestone reviews.
- Mentor test engineers and promote disciplined test processes, quality standards, and technical rigor across the team.
- Contribute to continuous improvement of test methodologies, documentation practices, and test management processes.
THIS HYBRID POSITION REQUIRES 3 DAYS OF WORK IN THE OFFICE AND 2 DAYS REMOTE PER WEEK
Qualifications- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field.
- Top Secret Clearance
- Significant experience in test engineering for complex technical systems or programs.
- Experience developing test strategies, test plans, procedures, and reports.
- Experience leading test teams or serving in a senior test coordination role.
- Experience coordinating with government test organizations, customer representatives, or formal test management authorities.
- Understanding of verification and validation processes, discrepancy tracking, and structured test execution methodologies.
- Ability to analyze technical issues, manage test activities, and communicate results effectively.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary engineering, operational, and customer teams.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field
- Top Secret security clearance
- Significant experience in test engineering for complex technical systems or programs
- Experience developing test strategies, test plans, procedures, and reports
- Experience leading test teams or serving in a senior test coordination role
- Experience coordinating with government test organizations, customer representatives, or formal test management authorities
- Understanding of verification and validation processes, discrepancy tracking, and structured test execution methodologies
- Ability to analyze technical issues, manage test activities, and communicate results effectively
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary engineering, operational, and customer teams
What We Do
AMERICAN SYSTEMS is an employee-owned government services contractor that delivers professional, technical, information technology, engineering, analysis, testing, evaluation, and training solutions for complex national-priority programs. Based in McLean, Virginia, the company supports federal customers—particularly defense and other Department of Defense missions—with mission-essential and information engineering, digital engineering, systems integration, cybersecurity, cloud, data, and lifecycle IT services across critical public-sector environments.
