Prototype & Validation Specialist

We are looking for a highly practical, resourceful technical person to bridge product development, prototyping, and manufacturing reality. This role is hands‑on and cross‑functional, focused on turning concepts into working first builds, validating designs, and helping development teams learn quickly through physical and virtual build insight.
This person will build and maintain prototype and development units and contribute practical assembly and manufacturing insight during concept and design reviews. They will also develop inventive test setups, design and perform validation tests, and help confirm system performance against specifications, environmental requirements, and electromagnetic compatibility expectations. Through practical testing, troubleshooting, and documentation, they will help determine whether new designs are ready for release into production and ensure products are validated in realistic operating conditions with manufacturability in mind.
In this role, you will work closely with mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, and product teams to make designs more buildable, more testable, and better aligned with real inventory, retrofit, and production constraints. You will help action manufacturing‑driven product changes, support movement toward higher‑volume manufacturing readiness, and take ownership of the development build area and its inventory so development work can happen efficiently and reliably.
What You’ll Be Doing   Build first prototypes and early development units to help validate new concepts quickly
Support virtual building during the design phase by reviewing assemblies before parts are in‑house and identifying likely build issues early
Contribute practical builder insight during concept reviews and design reviews, including reality checks, assembly sequencing, and manufacturing volume considerations
Build, modify, and maintain development units used for R&D work so they remain available for internal testing, learning, and demonstrations
Support continuous field testing by creating resourceful setups for long‑term data collection in real operating environments
Design and execute validation tests to confirm system performance, specification compliance, environmental robustness, and electromagnetic compatibility
Develop practical test plans, fixtures, and methodologies that support design verification, production release decisions, and clear documentation of results
Investigate failed tests or unexpected results, adapt test approaches as needed, and work with design teams to identify the best course of action
Enable field testing and demos by figuring out how to mount, protect, and deploy equipment in challenging environments such as vessels, vehicles, and temporary demo platforms
Bring retrofit and installed‑base awareness into new designs, including constraints driven by existing inventory, footprints, interfaces, and legacy hardware
Help design teams action change requests from manufacturing and support in the incorporation of shop‑floor feedback into updated designs
Contribute to pulling designs toward higher‑volume manufacturing readiness through practical DFM/DFA and assembly insight
Manage the development build area and related inventory to ensure prototype materials, tools, and development hardware are organized and available
Collaborate with design teams to improve build readiness, prototype efficiency, test execution, and production‑readiness decisions
What We’re Looking For   Strong hands‑on mechanical aptitude and confidence building, modifying, and troubleshooting physical systems
Ability to interpret CAD models, drawings, BOMs, and assemblies with an eye for real‑world buildability and manufacturability
Good intuition for assembly flow, serviceability, manufacturability, and practical design trade‑offs
Comfortable helping translate manufacturing feedback into design changes and improvements
Resourceful problem‑solving skills and the ability to figure out workable setups in imperfect or changing conditions
Strong analytical skills, including the ability to interpret test results, troubleshoot failures, and adapt testing when unexpected outcomes are encountered
Ability…