Validation Engineer II

Validation Engineer II

Sunco is one of the largest and fastest-growing online lighting retailers in the U.S.—and we're just getting started. Headquartered in sunny Valencia, CA, we're powered by an amazing team of people who bring passion, purpose, and innovation to everything they do.

As a Validation Engineer II in the lighting industry, you will be responsible for developing, validating, and supporting innovative lighting products from concept through production. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure that new lighting solutions meet performance, safety, reliability, and compliance standards. This role places a strong emphasis on validation, reliability testing, and continuous improvement, making it ideal for an engineer with hands-on hardware and testing experience.

What You'll Do:

• Develop products that meet UL-certified safety standards, customer specifications, and internal quality requirements while ensuring on‑time launch and adherence to budget.
• Manage projects and programs with accurate forecasting of timelines, resources, and deliverables.
• Maintain daily communication with suppliers to ensure objectives are clearly understood and consistently met.
• Validation & Reliability Testing
• Plan, design, and execute validation protocols for lighting products (LED, drivers, controls, fixtures).
• Perform electrical, thermal, photometric, mechanical, and environmental tests to ensure compliance with performance specifications and applicable safety standards
• Apply accelerated life testing (ALT) and highly accelerated stress testing (HAST) to validate long-term reliability.
• Test Method Development & Automation
• Create test setups, fixtures, and automated procedures to improve efficiency and repeatability of validation processes.
• Implement data acquisition and analysis tools to monitor performance and identify failure modes.
• Maintain calibration and integrity of testing equipment.
• Failure Analysis & Continuous Improvement
• Conduct root cause analysis for test failures and field returns, applying methods such as FMEA, 8D, and DOE.
• Translate findings into actionable design, process, or supplier changes to enhance product quality and reliability.
• Track KPIs for validation cycles, yield, and reliability performance, driving continuous improvement in testing processes.
• Documentation & Reporting
• Create installation manuals, product labels, and verify engineering specifications on retail packaging.
• Prepare comprehensive validation reports, summarizing methodology, results, risks, and recommendations.
• Maintain test databases and ensure traceability of all validation activities for internal and external audits.
• Perform additional related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field preferred.
• 3-6 years of experience in hardware product engineering, validation, or reliability testing, ideally in the lighting industry or related electronics sector.
• Hands-on experience with lighting test equipment (e.g., integrating spheres, goniophotometers, thermal chambers, oscilloscopes).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with expertise in root-cause analysis methods.
• Proficiency with CAD tools (Solid Works, Creo, or similar); circuit/PCB exposure a plus.
• Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced environment with multiple active projects.
• Strong organizational and analytical skills.
• Excellent teamwork, communication, and interpersonal abilities.
• Ability to understand technical concepts, interpret schematics, and provide informed design recommendations.
• Proficiency with Project Management tools and the Microsoft Office Suite.
• Demonstrates responsibility, initiative, problem‑solving ability, and critical thinking.
• Quick learner with a proactive approach to challenges.

Essential Physical Demands

• Ability to sit or stand at a computer workstation for extended periods.
• Comfortable performing hands‑on testing of prototype products.
• Ability to lift and carry over 50 pounds.
• Ability to push and pull heavy objects as needed.
• Capable of performing essential physical tasks including standing, bending, kneeling, sitting, and reaching.
• Comfortable working independently or as part…