Test Engineer - Missile Warning

Overview

Stellar Solutions, a nationally recognized “Great Place To Work,” delivers engineering solutions across commercial space and national security missions - from innovative new entrants to established space systems organizations.We bring talented, energetic, and immediately productive professionals to meet critical customer needs in systems engineering and integration, mission operations, program management, and strategic planning. Our teams work alongside Government and industry partners to solve complex technical challenges and help deliver mission capabilities across the system lifecycle.Stellar Solutions is seeking a Test Engineer to support the development and rapid deployment of the next generation of resilient Missile Warning capabilities for the U.S. Space Force. This role will lead and support developmental test and evaluation activities across complex space, ground, software, and hardware systems, helping ensure mission capabilities are fully verified, validated, integrated, and ready to transition into operational testing.

Role/Responsibilities/Qualifications

The ideal candidate brings significant experience with Major Defense Acquisition Programs and Government developmental test and evaluation, with the technical depth to understand system requirements and interfaces and translate them into rigorous, executable test strategies. This individual will work across Government organizations, development contractors, FFRDCs, test organizations, and engineering teams to identify issues early, evaluate system performance, and provide technically sound findings and recommendations supporting mission success.

The Test Engineer will

• Lead and support developmental test and evaluation (DT&E) activities for complex space, ground, software, and hardware systems supporting Missile Warning mission capabilities.
• Plan, execute, analyze, and report test activities supporting certification of readiness for operational testing in accordance with applicable Government test policies and standards.
• Develop and execute Test & Evaluation Master Plans (TEMPs), System Test Plans (STPs), Requirement Verification Plans (RVPs), Requirement Verification Reports (RVRs), test procedures, and associated test artifacts.
• Translate system requirements and interface specifications into testable objectives, including definition of systems under test, test criteria, acceptance criteria, success metrics, and Test Readiness Review materials.
• Conduct system-of-systems testing across space-to-ground and cross-segment interfaces, including scenarios that exercise Interface Control Documents (ICDs) and verify interoperability requirements.
• Perform test-data analysis and reduction, identify anomalies, deficiencies, risks, and performance gaps, and develop clear findings and recommendations for technical and program leadership.
• Organize and support Integrated Test Teams, Deficiency Review Boards, Materiel Improvement Project Review Boards, technical interchange meetings, and other test and engineering forums.
• Coordinate across Government customers, FFRDCs, development contractors, test organizations, and engineering teams to resolve technical issues, support verification and validation, and advance capabilities toward certification and operational acceptance.
• Advise Government program leadership on test strategy, technical readiness, system performance, and risks affecting program execution.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years supporting test and evaluation, verification, system integration, or related engineering activities on Major Defense Acquisition Programs involving complex space, ground, software, or hardware systems.
• 5+ years supporting Government developmental test and evaluation programs within a Lead Development Test Organization (LDTO).
• Demonstrated ability to plan, execute, analyze, and report DT&E activities supporting readiness for operational testing, including development of test procedures and artifacts in accordance with applicable Government policy.
• Proven capability developing and executing Test & Evaluation Master Plans (TEMPs), System Test Plans (STPs), Requirement Verification Plans (RVPs), and Requirement Verification Reports (RVRs).
• Strong systems-engineering foundation, including requirements decomposition, interface analysis, allocation of requirements to testable elements, definition of systems under test, development of acceptance criteria, and conduct of Test Readiness Reviews.
• Background conducting system-of-systems testing across space-to-ground or cross-segment interfaces and supporting technical forums such as Integrated Test Teams, Deficiency Review Boards, MIPRBs, and technical interchange meetings.
• Ability to perform test-data analysis and reduction, identify anomalies and technical risks, assess performance against requirements, and communicate clear findings and recommendations.
• Demonstrated success working across Government customers, FFRDCs, development contractors, test organizations, and engineering stakeholders.
• Knowledge of IEEE 15288.1 and IEEE 15288.2.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline.

Desired Qualifications

• Leadership experience within an LDTO environment, including coordination with operational test organizations, weapon-system certification, JRMET activities, or deficiency reporting.
• Background developing test scenarios from system, segment, subsystem, and interface requirements, including validation of ICDs and cross-system interoperability.
• Test and integration experience with OPIR, Missile Warning, or other space-based remote sensing systems, including programs such as Next Gen OPIR, NGG, NGP, FORGE, RGS, or SBIRS.
• Familiarity with interoperability certification, integrated test campaigns, operational acceptance, and major capability delivery activities.
• Working knowledge of MBSE and Digital Engineering tools such as DOORS, MagicDraw/Cameo, and requirements-to-verification traceability methods.
• Familiarity with DoD 5000-series test and acquisition policy, MIL-STD-3022, and DoDAF.
• Independent Verification & Validation experience for software or database releases.
• Master’s degree in a related technical discipline and/or CTEP, ASEP, CSEP, or ESEP certification.

Clearance & Additional Requirements

• Secret clearance required.
• TS/SCI clearance preferred.

Location

Aurora, CO or El Segundo, CA

Compensation

The typical annual salary range for this position is approximately, USD $115,000 - $157,000. Individual pay is determined by many factors including work location, job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for a comprehensive total rewards package that includes an annual performance bonus, an employer-funded Profit-Sharing Plan (PSP) contribution based on base compensation, and comprehensive employer-paid medical benefits, PTO pay-out options, along with additional company-sponsored benefits. All of these benefits represent an additional 30-40% to your base compensation for a total compensation package.

Deliverable(s)

You’ll be at the center of a highly complex, highly visible test effort - working across Government, industry, and engineering teams to identify and solve problems early and help move next-generation capabilities into the hands of the operators who depend on them.