Systems Integration Test Engineer AstraQua

Position: Systems Integration & Flight Test Engineer AstraQua

Location: Los Angeles, CA or Louisville, KY

About the work

Integrate Astra Sense from bench prototypes toward approved ground and flight demonstrations. Focus on instrumentation, vehicle interfaces, test readiness and requirement-linked evidence, working alongside the existing systems safety and verification role.

What you will do

• Build software-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop setups and verify interfaces against agreed Astra Sense system requirements.
• Integrate wiring, instrumentation and data-bus connections on selected drone or eVTOL test platforms when equipment, permissions and test readiness are established.
• Write test plans, procedures and reports; keep requirements linked to configurations, results and unresolved discrepancies.
• Plan and support ground and flight test campaigns under approved procedures and designated test authority.
• Own reliable data collection, timestamps, configuration records and post-test analysis using Python or MATLAB.
• Coordinate with safety and engineering leads on operational limits, abort criteria, operator authority, fault-response tests and readiness reviews.
• Organize integration evidence relevant to applicable DO-178C, DO-254 and DO-160 work, without implying completed certification.
• Support NASA SBIR Phase II aviation-development test planning where assigned.

What you bring

• BS in aerospace, electrical, mechanical or systems engineering, plus at least three years integrating and testing aircraft, drones or vehicles.
• Experience preparing test plans, procedures and verification reports.
• Hands‑on wiring-harness, instrumentation and data‑acquisition experience, plus Python or MATLAB for analysis.

Useful additional experience

Flight-test experience, FAA Part 107 certification where relevant to the assigned test role, NASA/DoD program experience, or requirements tools such as DOORS/Jama.

First 90 days: scope to agree

Agree a first-90-day objective: a working HIL setup and requirement-linked aviation-development test plan. Bench acceptance, readiness reviews and available platforms determine subsequent ground or flight activity; a flight demonstration is not promised within this period.

About Astra Qua

Astra Qua is developing a modular autonomy architecture with AQFM as its shared intelligence foundation. Specialized agents contribute perception, reasoning, health and coordination. Astra Sense is the health‑intelligence agent, with electrified aviation as an initial research application; it connects condition and remaining capability with mission decisions. Our approach to safe AI emphasizes defined operating boundaries, deterministic safety controls, operator authority and behavior designed for verification and validation.