Director, Test Engineering

Job description

HADRIAN - MANUFACTURING THE FUTURE Hadrian is building autonomous factories to reindustrialize America. By combining AI, advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we help aerospace and defense companies build rockets, satellites, aircraft, ships, and other mission-critical systems up to 10x faster and at significantly lower cost. Following our $1.37B Series D at a $7.87B valuation, Hadrian is rapidly expanding our manufacturing footprint, launching new capabilities across welding, casting, forging, electronics, additive manufacturing, and more, while scaling our Factory-as-a-Service platform to transform how critical products are built. Backed by leading investors including JPMorgan Chase, Valor Equity Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, 137 Ventures, Lux Capital, T. Rowe Price, and Morgan Stanley, we’re building the future of American manufacturing—and looking for exceptional people to help make it happen. If you’re ready to take on the most challenging and rewarding work of your career while helping create American manufacturing jobs for generations to come, you’re exactly who we’re looking for. 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. Departme