> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/70884-sr-hil-engineer-test-automation-engineer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/70884-sr-hil-engineer-test-automation-engineer). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Sr HIL Engineer/Test & Automation Engineer - **Company:** ASTRA CORPORATION - **Location:** Alameda, CA, United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $140,000.0 - $180,000.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Confluence, Automation of Tests, Unit Testing, CAN Bus, Computer Programming, Databases, EtherCAT, Hardware Platform Interface, Hardware-In-The-Loop Simulation, Integrated Development Environments, Python (Programming Language), Modbus, Routing, Software Architecture, Simulink, Software Requirements Analysis, SQL Databases, Structured Text, Test Case, Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter, Parquet, Grafana, Test Scripts, State Machines, Build Management, Influxdb, Iec61131-3, Data Pipelines, Twincat - **Published:** May 15, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=4f87ec6f993440be ## About the Role Do you have experience in Wiring and circuitry work?, * 4+ years of experience in test engineering, instrumentation & control, or systems test in aerospace, defense, automotive, or a hardware-intensive field. * Hands-on experience designing and commissioning DAQ and control systems: sensor selection, signal conditioning, I/O architecture, real-time control platforms. * Strong controls programming background: PLC/IEC 61131-3, structured text, state machines, interlock logic. Beckhoff TwinCAT preferred. * Proficient in Python for data processing, test automation, and tooling. * Experience with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation: real-time plant models, simulation framework integration, test case development. * Comfortable with the full hardware lifecycle: you have taken a test stand from concept through commissioning and operated it during a test campaign. * Strong communicator across disciplines. You have worked directly with software, avionics, or propulsion teams and translated between hardware and software requirements. * Ability to work on-site in Alameda, CA with periodic travel to test sites and Cape Canaveral., * Software-in-the-loop (SIL) simulation experience: FSW regression frameworks, plant model integration, test case development without hardware in the loop. * Beckhoff EtherCAT ecosystem: TwinCAT 3, EL series I/O terminals, real-time control. * Real-time plant model development for HIL simulation: Simulink Real-Time, Speedgoat, NI VeriStand, or custom frameworks. * Experience with flight software or avionics test: FSW regression frameworks, bus simulation (MIL-STD-1553, SpaceWire, UART/SPI/I2C), fault injection. * Industrial fieldbus and protocol experience: EtherCAT, CAN bus, Modbus, Profinet. * Familiarity with data pipeline tools: InfluxDB, Grafana, Parquet, TDMS, SQL, or time-series database architectures. * Propulsion or hazardous fluid system experience: LOX/LN2/GN2 handling, high-pressure pneumatics, cryogenic instrumentation. * Electrical control cabinet design: layout, grounding, EMI mitigation, wire routing, panel fabrication. * Startup or high-tempo development environment (SpaceX, Relativity, Firefly, Joby, Zoox, Anduril, Cruise, or similar). * dSPACE, Speedgoat, or NI VeriStand platform experience. ## Description Astra's mission is to improve life on Earth from space by creating a healthier and more connected planet. Today, Astra offers one of the lowest cost-per-launch dedicated orbital launch services, and one of the industry's leading flight-proven electric propulsion systems for satellites, the Astra Spacecraft Engine. The Opportunity Astra is building Rocket 4, a high-cadence small-satellite launch vehicle. The Test & Launch team is the common infrastructure layer for the program - we design and operate the test stands, simulation environments, and launch systems that propulsion, avionics, GNC, and structures all depend on. This role sits at the intersection of instrumentation and control, automation software, and systems test. You will design DAQ and control architectures for test stands across the program, write the software that makes those stands run safely and repeatably, and work directly with engineering teams to define what test infrastructure they need and build it. One of the near-term workstreams for this role is the Launch System Simulator (LSS), a hardware-in-the-loop environment that runs the full avionics stack, flight software, and GNC algorithms against real-time plant models. The LSS needs an owner who can define its architecture, build out the simulation infrastructure, and integrate it into the broader test program. Beyond LSS, the role expands into I&C design and commissioning across 20+ test stands on the development roadmap. This is not a desk job. You will be in the lab, on the test stand, at the facility. You will write control logic, terminate wiring, commission sensors, troubleshoot data pipelines during a test campaign, and eventually support launch operations. Why This Role Matters Rocket 4 is a full-stack development program. Every subsystem - propulsion, avionics, GNC, structures, valves - has a test campaign running in parallel with development. The Test & Launch team is the infrastructure layer that all of them depend on. This role accelerates two things that matter for the program: it delivers the simulation and HIL infrastructure that supports flight software and GNC verification, and it deepens the team's I&C and controls capability so we can design and commission test stands as fast as the program needs them. How You'll Fulfill Your Mission * Work with propulsion, avionics, and software teams to design DAQ and control system architectures for test stands across the program: instrumentation plans, I/O lists, sensor selection, signal conditioning, control cabinet layout, wiring schematics. * Write and commission control logic for test stand automation: sequencing, safety interlocks, abort logic, and operator interfaces. Beckhoff TwinCAT / structured text, Python, and whatever else gets the job done. * Own the Launch System Simulator from architecture through delivery: select the HIL hardware platform, build real-time plant models (propulsion, GNC, avionics), define the simulation interface to flight software, and integrate fault injection and Monte Carlo test campaigns. * Partner with ground software teams on data pipeline architecture: understanding the full path from DAQ hardware through storage, processing, and visualization well enough to define requirements and troubleshoot during test campaigns. * Work with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and flight software teams to design and build test infrastructure: defining requirements, validating acceptance criteria, and commissioning new stands through ORR. * Support active test campaigns at Castle (Chiron engine hot-fire) and Orion (upper stage component test). Travel to Cape Canaveral for launch campaign support. * Document everything: P&IDs, wiring diagrams, software architecture, commissioning procedures, and test reports in Confluence. ## Related Videos - [5 steps for running a Kubernetes environment at scale](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/88-5-steps-for-running-a-kubernetes-environment-at-scale) - [Remote Driving on Plant Grounds with State-of-the-Art Cloud Technologies](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/251-remote-driving-on-plant-grounds-with-state-of-the-art-cloud-technologies) - [All your telemetry data from any source in one place](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/57-all-your-telemetry-data-from-any-source-in-one-place) - [More efficient software for more efficient microchips](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1164-more-efficient-software-for-more-efficient-microchips) - [How to develop an autonomous car end-to-end: Robotic Drive and the mobility revolution](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/22-how-to-develop-an-autonomous-car-end-to-end-robotic-drive-and-the-mobility-revolution) - [Keycloak case study: Making users happy with service level indicators and observability](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1599-keycloak-case-study-making-users-happy-with-service-level-indicators-and-observability) ## Related Articles - [How software is steering vehicle technology](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/515-how-software-is-steering-vehicle-technology) - [Highest Paying Tech Companies for Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/220-highest-paying-tech-companies-for-developers) - [Dev Digest 121 - AI goes offline](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/456-dev-digest-121-ai-goes-offline) - [The 8 Best Code Testing Tools](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/402-the-8-best-code-testing-tools) - [Top 6 Hackathons for Developers in 2023](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/263-top-6-hackathons-for-developers-in-2023) - [Dev Digest 132 - Binging WADFlix?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/473-dev-digest-132-binging-wadflix)