Approach Venture

Overview

We are hiring our first dedicated test engineer to create the test program for a new class of turbine-based power systems. This hands-on role involves turning an empty floor into a working test operation, specifying the facility, designing stands, and building a data pipeline for engineering decisions.

Responsibilities

• Specify and stand up the company's first dedicated test facility, covering floor layout, utilities, safety systems, and infrastructure for high-pressure, high-temperature hardware.
• Design, build, and maintain test stands, rigs, and fixtures for development units and production hardware.
• Author test plans, operating procedures, and methods that ensure safety and repeatability for every campaign.
• Select instrumentation and build out data acquisition, recording, and storage systems for each test.
• Get hands-on during assembly, wiring, and commissioning of the first machine and its supporting stands.
• Process and analyze test results, turning them into clear findings for design, controls, and systems teams.
• Run test logistics to ensure instrumentation, fixtures, spares, and consumables are ready ahead of each campaign.
• Work across mechanical, fluids, electrical, and software disciplines to troubleshoot hardware and resolve issues quickly.

Requirements

• B.S. or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Track record running hardware test campaigns, including commissioning rotating machinery or high-pressure, high-temperature systems.
• Strong hands-on skills on both the mechanical and electrical side of a test setup.
• Solid grounding in sensors, instrumentation, and data acquisition.
• Comfort working across mechanical, fluid, electrical, and software interfaces to find root causes.
• Clear communicator and natural leader who enjoys picking up new skills and teaching them to others.

Benefits

• Health Insurance
• Dental
• Vision

Additional Information

• On-site position in El Segundo, CA.
• Opportunity to work side by side with technical founders and a small, senior engineering team.
• Meaningful early-stage equity.
• Stocked kitchen with coffee, snacks, and lunch provided.