Test Engineer

At Elroy Air, we build autonomous vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) cargo drones to change the way the world moves goods. Transporting cargo by air is faster and more direct than by land or sea, but it has been prohibitively expensive for medium-size loads. We've set out to expand middle-mile logistics possibilities across multiple sectors, with our sights on a $420Bn global total addressable market for cargo logistics across defense, commercial and rapid response.

We are a team of builders, engineers, and operators who believe that the defense, commercial, and rapid response communities need faster, better logistics solutions. We are seeing increasing demand as customers and prospects respond enthusiastically to the systems we’ve built. As we mature and deploy our offerings, we are looking for people like you: motivated collaborators, enthusiastic about our mission and ready to roll up their sleeves and make a big impact to improve how logistics works around the world. You will play an important role in establishing the Elroy Air Chaparral as the industry standard in this massive market.

We believe diverse perspectives at all levels of the organization are critical to innovation and employee development. This includes but is not limited to gender identity, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender expression, religion, age, ability, parenthood status, veteran status, educational background, citizenship status, or any combination of these characteristics.

The Test Engineer at Elroy Air will play a crucial role in the development, validation, and certification of Chaparral, our autonomous VTOL cargo aircraft. In this role, you will bridge the gap between design and reality by planning, setting up, and executing rigorous tests on components, sub-systems, and integrated aircraft systems. Whether working on mechanical fixtures, electrical test benches, or environmental chambers, you will ensure our hardware meets performance, reliability, and safety standards. This role requires an adaptable engineer from an electrical, mechanical, or aerospace background who thrives in a hands-on environment and is eager to advance the future of middle-mile logistics.

Responsibilities

Test Planning & Execution: Develop detailed test plans, procedures, and safety hazard analyses for structural, mechanical, environmental, and electrical components

Rig & Fixture Design: Design, build, and commission custom test fixtures, automated test equipment, and ground-support equipment using CAD and rapid-prototyping methods

Instrumentation & Data Acquisition: Select, install, and calibrate sensors such as strain gauges, thermocouples, accelerometers, and pressure transducers. Configure data acquisition (DAQ) systems to capture critical test data

Data Analysis & Diagnostic Troubleshooting: Process raw test data to evaluate system performance against design requirements. Investigate, diagnose, and document root-cause failures when components do not perform as expected

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Design, Systems, and Flight Test engineering teams to translate high-level aircraft requirements into verifiable, concrete physical test criteria

Safety & Regulatory Compliance: Maintain a safe testing environment by adhering to strict laboratory and field safety protocols, ensuring all documentation supports our FAA and UAS certification pathways

Our Ideal Candidate

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline

2+ years of professional experience in a dedicated engineering test environment (e.g., hardware verification, environmental qualification, or physical lab testing)

Hands-on experience with electric motors, propulsion systems, battery systems, EV systems

Hands-on experience setting up and operating data acquisition hardware (e.g., National Instruments, Dewesoft) and associated instrumentation

Strong mechanical or electrical troubleshooting skills—comfortable parsing engineering schematics, 3D CAD models, or wiring diagrams to diagnose issues

Proficiency in data processing and analysis using software tools such as Python, MATLAB, or LabVIEW

Excellent communication skills, with a track record of authoring clear, concise, and professional test reports

Bonus Points For

Experience working within the aerospace, UAV, automotive EV, or robotics industries

Familiarity with hardware qualification standards such as DO-160G, military standards (MIL-STD-810), or automotive equivalents

Experience with automated testing or hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing platforms

Experience designing structural load-cells or thermal/environmental testing setups

What We Offer

Competitive salary

Equity ownership in a rapidly growing advanced aerospace company

Comprehensive medical benefits

401(k) with company contribution + Roth IRA

Free daily lunch provided onsite

Flexible time-off policy

3 months of paid parental leave

Employee assistance program with 24/7 support

High-impact startup environment with significant ownership and autonomy

Opportunities for rapid career growth and internal advancement

You’ll work with a motivated, kind, and highly skilled team

You'll help shape and define our company culture and values

You'll help build and scale a new category of aerospace / logistics technology

We encourage you to apply even if you aren't an exact match for our open role as many of our team members come from nontraditional backgrounds.

Elroy Air is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law.

We are committed to an inclusive, harassment-free workplace and we gladly provide reasonable accommodations to support our team. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (green card holder). All employees will be screened through E-Verify. Elroy Air does not engage with external recruiting agencies/individual recruiters that we do not have a written agreement with and all employment activities are managed through our internal team. We reserve the right to make use of any unsolicited resumes received without being responsible for payment of any fees asserted from the use of unsolicited resumes.