Engineer, Systems Engineer

Job Summary

General Atomics (GA), and its affiliated companies, are world leaders in high‑technology system development, ranging from the nuclear fuel cycle to remotely piloted aircraft, airborne sensors, and advanced electric, electronic, wireless, and laser technologies.
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA‑EMS) designs and manufactures first‑of‑a‑kind electromagnetic and electric power generation systems. The GA‑EMS Optical Sensor Systems team builds and tests advanced electro‑optical and infrared (EO/IR) space payload that powers next‑generation remote‑sensing systems.

We seek highly motivated engineers for our Optical Payload Integration & Test (I&T) team. This full‑time position is located in Acton, MA and focuses on electrical and software‑driven system integration, test automation, and verification & validation of complex EO/IR payload subsystems.

• Develop and maintain Python‑based automation test frameworks and libraries for payload and subsystem testing
• Implement instrument control interfaces (e.g., via Ethernet, Serial, VISA, CAN) and integrate hardware drivers into test environments
• Build data logging, configuration management, and report‑generation utilities that support V&V campaigns
• Participate in the architecture and evolution of test infrastructure, ensuring scalability for future production efforts
• Establish and maintain CI/CD pipelines for automated validation, software packaging, and test execution
• Troubleshoot hardware‑software interactions and support failure analysis and corrective actions
• Support documentation, version control, and traceability across test artifacts
• Collaborate with the Flight Software and Systems Engineering teams to assess, debug, and verify C‑based embedded code behavior through hardware‑in‑the‑loop testing

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical discipline, or equivalent engineering experience
• Proficiency in Python, including hardware control and data processing
• Experience integrating test equipment and hardware interfaces
• Ability to read and understand C code for diagnostics and interface verification
• Familiarity with Linux environments, command‑line tools, and version control (Git)
• Strong attention to detail, documentation habits, and a collaborative problem‑solving mindset
• U.S. Citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance

• Experience with test automation frameworks (e.g., PyVISA, PySerial, pytest)
• Experience with CI/CD tools (e.g., Bitbucket Pipeline, Jenkins)
• Familiarity with SQLite, Pandas/Pyarrow, and Num Py for data analysis and reporting
• Experience designing reusable test modules and building documentation for multi‑user test environments
• Understanding of requirements verification, traceability, and test readiness processes
• Background in hardware‑in‑the‑loop (HIL) testing or real‑time data acquisition
• Comfortable operating in a fast‑paced, hands‑on lab environment with minimal supervision
• Willingness to support off‑shift or extended testing during major integration or environmental test milestones

Full‑time, Onsite – Acton, Massachusetts. Desired clearance:
Secret. US Citizenship required. Relocation assistance not provided.

We recognize and appreciate the value and contributions of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences and welcome all qualified individuals to apply.