Principal Test Engineer

Principal Test Engineer

Location:

Germantown, MD, US, 20876 Job  DRS RADA Technologies, a subsidiary of Leonardo DRS, is focused on proprietary radar solutions and legacy avionics systems supporting the defense industry globally. The company is a global pioneer of AESA tactical radars for active military protection, counter-drone applications, critical infrastructure protection, and border surveillance.

About the Role We're hiring a Principal Test Engineer to lead our test engineering team and drive the validation of radar hardware and software — from the lab bench to the field. This is a hands-on technical leadership role for someone who can own test strategy end-to-end, mentor engineers, and ensure our radar systems perform reliably under real-world conditions.

What You'll Do

Lead & Mentor

Lead and coach a team of test engineers, setting technical direction and elevating team capability

Serve as the technical authority on test strategy, methods, and standards across programs

Design & Execute Test Programs

Design, develop, and execute test programs to validate the functionality, integrity, and reliability of radar hardware and software

Write test procedures and protocols that verify products meet performance specifications

Conduct testing in both lab and field environments, adapting plans to real-world operating conditions

Debug test hardware, software, and instrumentation to resolve issues quickly and keep programs on schedule

What You'll Do

Own Outcomes

Drive test activities to completion on time and within budget

Analyze test data and designs to identify risks early and recommend corrective action

Build prototypes to retire key technical risks before full-scale development

Provide budget, cost, and schedule input for test and design assignments

Document component, subsystem, and system-level test specifications and requirements

Collaborate Across the Business

Partner with manufacturing, supply chain, program management, and customers to align on requirements and resolve issues

Evaluate supplier components, subsystems, and services against program needs

Support design-to-cost and design-for-manufacture goals

Contribute technical content to complex, high-value proposals

Represent test engineering in customer, program, and business reviews

What You Bring

Master's degree in Engineering or a related technical field

8+ years of relevant engineering/test experience, ideally with radar, RF, or defense systems

Demonstrated mastery of test engineering methods and strong domain knowledge across multiple disciplines

Proven ability to lead technical projects independently and mentor other engineers

Strong written and verbal communication skills across technical and non-technical audiences

Willingness to test in field/operational environments, not just the lab

U.S. Citizenship required. This position requires an active DOD security clearance or the ability to obtain such clearance within a reasonable time after commencement of employment.

The salary range for this position is $/year-$/year. This range reflects the good faith estimate of pay the employer is willing to offer at the time of posting. Several factors can influence the pay scale, including but not limited to:
Federal contract labor categories and contract wage rates, collective bargaining agreements, geographic location, business considerations, scope, and responsibilities of the position, local or other applicable market conditions, and internal equity. Other factors include the candidate's qualifications such as prior work experience, specific skills and competencies, education/training, and certifications.

In addition to base pay, employees may be eligible for: annual performance-based bonuses, equity awards, and overtime pay (for non-exempt employees as applicable. Our benefits package includes comprehensive health insurance (medical, dental, vision), employer matching 401(k) retirement plan, paid time off including vacation, holidays, and sick leave (including ant state-mandated paid sick leave), parental leave benefits, tuition reimbursement, professional development support, and life and disability insurance coverage.

Taking care of our people is a top priority at…