Hardware Radiation Test Engineer

Overview

Draper is an independent, nonprofit research and development company headquartered in Cambridge, MA. The 2,000+ employees of Draper tackle important national challenges with a promise of delivering successful and usable solutions. From military defense and space exploration to biomedical engineering, lives often depend on the solutions we provide. Our multidisciplinary teams of engineers and scientists work in a collaborative environment that inspires the cross‑fertilization of ideas necessary for true innovation.

The Radiation Engineer assesses and mitigates the impact of radiation on the performance of a system. The assessment may involve analysis of environments, transport of environments through system enclosures, modeling the interaction of radiation with components and sensors, or testing of components and sensors. Typical systems and components include inertial navigation systems, inertial sensors (accelerometers and gyroscopes), MEMS devices, ASICs, fiber optics, and other electronic components.

The ideal candidate will have deep experience with all aspects of radiation testing, including planning, hardware and software development, coordinating test logistics, executing tests, and reporting results. They will work with one or more teams to evaluate, refine, and validate components and hardware designs intended to operate in extremely challenging environments.

Duties / Responsibilities

• Support engineering decisions based on radiation effects on overall system performance.
• Design harden and verify the performance of systems across multiple radiation effects, including dose rate, total ionizing dose, neutron displacement damage, and single event effects.
• Support interdisciplinary teams to ensure that radiation hardening is maintained across the product lifecycle.
• Independently drive solutions to complex problems—develop requirements, propose ways forward when customer requirements are unclear or incomplete, and adapt appropriately to changes in requirements.
• Maintain a sustained record of successful task leadership, identifying risks and developing and executing mitigation strategies.
• Demonstrate the ability to lead medium‑sized teams (5–10 people), align the team toward program goals, and build trust within the team.
• Act as a subject‑matter expert able to perform advanced radiation effects analyses.
• Provide insight and suggest design modifications based on analysis outcomes, and apply analysis techniques across a range of technical challenges and disciplines.
• Identify program or system‑level technical risks and develop and execute mitigation strategies for them.
• Develop, document, and teach best practices to less experienced engineers.
• Demonstrate strong organization, planning, and time‑management skills to achieve program goals.
• Mentor actively, recognizing strengths and weaknesses in others and providing thoughtful, constructive feedback.
• Perform other related duties as needed.

Skills / Abilities

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with multidisciplinary program team members, leadership, and non‑technical personnel.
• Excellent analytical skills to support modeling and analysis tasks.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, especially when planning critical test and analysis activities.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Team player able to work in a fast‑paced environment, balancing multiple competing tasks and demands.
• Solid understanding of radiation interactions with materials and devices.

Education

A Bachelor’s degree in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, or another relevant field is required. A Master’s degree or PhD is preferred.

Experience

7 to 10 years of Radiation Engineering or related experience.

Additional Job Requirements

Applicants selected for this position will be required to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance, which requires proof of U.S. citizenship.

Odon, Indiana (47562)

U.S. base salary range: $95,000.00–$.

Salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range listed on each posting reflects the minimum and maximum target salaries for the position across all U.S. locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job‑related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

Draper is committed to creating an inclusive environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information. Draper is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation, please contact