Job Description

Overview

We are seeking an experienced Senior Test & Development Engineer to lead the development and validation of the next generation of electric heat pumps for industrial process heat electrification. The ideal candidate will drive the design, analysis, and testing of mechanical and thermal systems within the Thermal heat pump platform and future product lines.

Responsibilities

  • Own test strategy and planning for the product lines, from component-level qualification through full industrial scale system validation.
  • Lead test campaigns end to end, including test requirements, procedures, schedules, resourcing, and go/no-go readiness reviews.
  • Design and build test fixtures, tooling, & electromechanical systems, and define test facility capability and infrastructure needs.
  • Hands on assembly, troubleshooting and operation of first of kind thermal systems.
  • Architect and implement testing software, data acquisition, and controls for automated testing and logging of high energy systems.
  • Own creation and maintenance of accurate documentation of test methods, data, and results, and establish test documentation standards for the team.
  • Translate performance requirements and expected system behaviors into test criteria; lead troubleshooting and qualification of new designs.
  • Provide feedback to product engineering teams and drive design reviews, process hazard analyses, and test campaign planning.
  • Foster a strong safety culture, set and enforce safety standards, and lead HAZOP analyses for test operations.
  • Mentor and provide technical direction to test technicians and junior engineers.

Requirements

  • Minimum 6 years' experience in a product development or test role, including leading test programs for complex hardware.
  • Demonstrated experience taking first of kind hardware from bench testing through full-scale system validation.
  • Strong working experience of PLC controls, open and closed loop controls, data acquisition systems, preventative/corrective maintenance tasks, & calibration of plant instrumentation.
  • Experience leading or contributing to HAZOP/PHA analyses and developing test safety procedures.
  • Familiarity with mechanical & electrical control equipment.
  • Excellent communication skills, attention to detail, and ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environment.
  • Ability to solve problems independently on tight schedules.
  • Must be able to work with limited documentation.

How this job compares in Gardena, CA

Pay in context

This employer didn't publish a rate. For reference, welding jobs across California currently run a median of $34/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $28–$43/hr across 429 postings with published pay. That median is a reasonable floor to anchor on when a recruiter asks what you're looking for.

The local market in Gardena, CA

Gardena, CA currently has 7 other active welding openings besides this one, spread across 7 employers. 4 of them were added in the last week. Across California as a whole we're tracking 565 other active welding openings from 258 employers. That's enough local activity to be worth comparing two or three offers before committing. Browse every welding job in Gardena, or widen the search to California.

The most active employers in California at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are SpaceX (37), Relativity Space (21), and Honeywell Aerospace (17). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within California, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Long Beach at $49/hr, Santa Ana at $48/hr, and Los Angeles at $43/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

Similar openings near Gardena, CA

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Senior Test & Development Engineer figures were last recalculated when this page was built.