Director, Test Engineering

About this role

HADRIAN - MANUFACTURING THE FUTURE

Hadrian is building autonomous factories that help aerospace and defense companies manufacture rockets, satellites, jets, and ships up to 10x faster and up to 2x cheaper. By combining advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we are reinventing how America produces its most critical parts.

We’re accelerating our mission with the launch of Factory 3 in Mesa, Arizona, a 290,000-square-foot facility creating 350 new jobs. We are expanding rapidly to support thousands of future hires, launching Hadrian Maritime to expand into naval production, and introducing a Factory-as-a-Service model that delivers complete systems instead of individual parts.

Hadrian is backed by leading investors including T. Rowe Price, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, and Andreessen Horowitz, our fast-growing team is united around reindustrializing American manufacturing for the 21st century and beyond.

The Role

As Director of Test Engineering, you will build and lead Hadrian's test engineering function across development, qualification, and production. This role is responsible for standing up test teams, infrastructure, and processes that operate at manufacturing pace — integrated into the factory floor, not isolated in a lab. You will partner closely with engineering, operations, software, and program management to ensure test is a strategic enabler of product quality, production throughput, and program delivery.

Your responsibilities will include, but not be limited to, the following:

- Build and lead a multidisciplinary test engineering team supporting development, qualification, and production; define roles, hiring sequence, and team structure as the function scales

- Design and deploy test stations, fixtures, and infrastructure directly integrated into production floor layouts — balancing test coverage with cycle time, floor space, and operator workflow

- Establish test methodologies, automation frameworks, and data acquisition systems that produce structured, traceable, and actionable engineering data

- Own test readiness across new product introductions, qualification programs, and production milestones; communicate test status, risk, and schedule impact clearly to program and operations leadership

- Develop and maintain test documentation — plans, procedures, and qualification records — that is executable by technicians and operators, not just engineers

- Partner with design engineering to embed testability requirements early in the development process

- Drive continuous improvement by using test data to identify and resolve design, process, and yield issues

What We're Looking For:

- Significant experience in test engineering, manufacturing test, or integration and test in complex, hardware-focused environments

- Demonstrated success standing up test infrastructure on a production floor — not just in a lab or R&D setting

- Experience with development, qualification, environmental, acceptance, and production testing of complex systems

- Hands-on background with test automation platforms and data acquisition systems; able to evaluate build vs. buy decisions and partner with software teams on custom tooling

- Experience managing test engineering deliverables within program schedules, including customer-facing qualification and acceptance testing

- Strong communication skills — able to translate test status and risk into language that resonates with operations, program, and senior leadership

What will set you apart:

- Track record of building test functions from scratch — with a clear philosophy on how to prioritize and sequence the build

- Demonstrated ability to design test processes that scale with production rate increases without becoming a bottleneck

- Experience using test data as a strategic asset to drive design and process improvements, not just as a compliance output

- Comfort operating in a high-growth environment where startup speed and aerospace/defense rigor must be balanced — and judgment about when each applies

- Experience developing technical staff and building a team culture around quality, execution, and continuous improvement

BENEFITS FOR FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES

- Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees

- 401k

- Relocation support may be provided for certain situations, based on business need.

- Flexible vacation policy

- Equity

ITAR REQUIREMENTS

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here https://www.pmddtc.state.gov/?id=ddtc_kb_article_page&sys_id=24d528fddbfc930044f9ff621f961987.

USE OF AI IN HIRING

Hadrian uses AI-assisted tools in our recruiting and hiring processes to help our team work more efficiently. This may include tools that help organize and analyze recruiting data, as well as an AI-powered notetaker that can record and transcribe interviews and help coordinate feedback. These tools support our team and are not used to make hiring decisions. All candidate evaluations and hiring decisions are performed by humans. If an interview will be recorded, you will be notified in advance and may opt out at any time with no impact on your candidacy. Candidate data processed through these tools is subject to the same protections described in our Privacy Policy https://www.hadrian.co/privacy-policy.

HADRIAN IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

It is the Company’s policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. The Company does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race inclusive of traits historically associated with race (including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyle

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