ABOUT KRAKEN KINETICS

Kraken Kinetics designs and manufactures advanced kinetic solutions that enable modern warfighting capabilities for the United States Armed Forces and its allies. We specialize in mission-tailored warheads and firing systems for unmanned and autonomous weapon platforms, delivering production-ready solutions at speed to address urgent national security challenges.

Our team brings decades of specialized Department of War experience across the full lifecycle of kinetic system development—from concept and design through testing, manufacturing, and operational deployment. Built on a foundation of work that helped lead the DoW into the era of kinetic drones, Kraken Kinetics combines commercial agility with deep technical expertise to deliver DEFINITIVE LETHALITY™ when it matters most.

Position Summary

Kraken Kinetics is seeking a hands-on Test & Verification Engineer II/III to help develop and mature the testing and verification capabilities needed to support product development, design verification, qualification, production acceptance, and continuous product improvement.

This is not a narrowly scoped test execution or data-analysis role. We are looking for an engineer who can take ownership of the broader testing problem: understanding what needs to be proven, determining whether requirements are practically testable, developing the test approach, selecting and configuring equipment, instrumenting the device under test, collecting and analyzing data, troubleshooting failures, documenting the work, and helping turn successful approaches into repeatable test methods.

The Test & Verification Engineer will work closely with systems, mechanical, electrical, firmware, manufacturing, and program teams throughout the product-development lifecycle. Early in development, this engineer will participate in requirements and design reviews and provide practical input on testability and verification feasibility. As designs mature, the engineer will help develop test plans, procedures, fixtures, instrumentation, automation, data-analysis methods, and verification documentation.

Kraken’s test infrastructure and processes are still developing, but this role will not operate in isolation. To date, engineers across the organization have collectively supported many of Kraken’s testing and verification needs and will continue to provide specialized technical expertise and design knowledge. The Test & Verification Engineer will help bring greater focus, ownership, consistency, and repeatability to that work.

We do not expect one engineer to fill every gap or be an expert in every test discipline. We do expect this person to identify important gaps, take ownership of the problems they can solve, bring in the right expertise when needed, and steadily improve Kraken’s overall verification capability.

As Kraken grows, we expect the Test & Verification function to expand into a broader multidisciplinary team with deeper specialization in areas such as electronics and embedded systems testing, environmental and mechanical qualification, shock and vibration, weatherproofing and ingress protection, automated test systems, and production acceptance testing. This position offers the opportunity to make an immediate individual contribution while helping establish the foundation for that future team.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Participate in requirements and design reviews to evaluate whether requirements are objective, measurable, and practically verifiable.

• Work with systems and design engineers to translate requirements into appropriate verification methods, test approaches, and acceptance criteria.

• Develop, refine, and execute test plans and procedures for development, design verification, qualification, regression, and production acceptance testing.

• Design, build, configure, and integrate test setups, fixtures, instrumentation systems, data-acquisition systems, and supporting test hardware.

• Bring new laboratory and test equipment online, including setup, configuration, software integration, validation, and documentation.

• Instrument devices under test and select appropriate sensors, test equipment, sampling methods, and measurement techniques.

• Develop scripts, tools, and automated test methods for instrument control, data acquisition, analysis, visualization, and reporting where appropriate.

• Personally execute electrical, mechanical, firmware, environmental, subsystem, and integrated system-level testing.

• Collect, analyze, interpret, and clearly document test data, results, anomalies, and conclusions.

• Troubleshoot unexpected behavior and test failures in collaboration with cross-functional engineering teams.

• Support root-cause investigations by developing diagnostic tests and experiments that help isolate failure mechanisms and verify corrective actions.

• Distinguish between product failures, test-system issues, instrumentation limitations, fixture problems, software issues, and procedural errors.

• Develop clear test reports, verification records, and supporting documentation that capture test configuration, procedure, results, and conclusions.

• Improve test repeatability, data quality, procedural clarity, fixture usability, automation, and configuration control.

• Support the transition of engineering test methods into repeatable production acceptance and manufacturing test processes.

• Advocate for product testability, including appropriate access to signals, diagnostics, test points, interfaces, and fixture provisions.

• Help establish practical standards for test planning, test readiness, documentation, data retention, verification traceability, and test infrastructure.

• Support testing at external laboratories, supplier facilities, customer locations, field sites, or ranges as required.

• Identify future test-equipment, tooling, facility, and personnel needs as Kraken’s products and verification requirements continue to expand.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Mechatronics, Physics, or a related technical discipline.

• Professional experience in test engineering, design verification, product validation, systems integration, product development, or related engineering work.

• Demonstrated experience developing a test approach from an engineering problem or requirement, not solely executing pre-existing test procedures.

• Hands-on experience instrumenting hardware and configuring engineering test systems.

• Experience using engineering test equipment such as oscilloscopes, multimeters, DAQs, power supplies, electronic loads, sensors, environmental equipment, or similar instrumentation.

• Ability to understand engineering requirements and translate them into measurable test objectives and acceptance criteria.

• Experience collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and communicating engineering test data.

• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot technical problems and methodically investigate unexpected results.

• Ability to work effectively across mechanical, electrical, firmware, software, systems, and manufacturing disciplines.

• Strong technical documentation and communication skills.

• Willingness to personally build fixtures, configure equipment, write scripts, execute testing, analyze results, and troubleshoot failures.

• Ability to work effectively in an environment where products, requirements, processes, and infrastructure are continuing to evolve.

• Demonstrated initiative and ability to independently identify problems, develop a practical path forward, and drive technical work toward completion.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a small or growing engineering organization, R&D environment, or new-product-development setting requiring broad technical ownership.

• Experience developing a test capability, laboratory setup, test station, fixture, or automated test system from concept through operational use.

• Experience with LabVIEW, Python, MATLAB, or similar tools for test automation, instrument control, data acquisition, or analysis.

• Experience configuring or developing software interfaces and drivers for laboratory equipment.

• Experience integrating programmable instrumentation using Ethernet, USB, serial, CAN, GPIB, or similar communication interfaces.

• Experience with environmental chambers and thermal, humidity, or thermal-cycling testing.

• Experience with vibration, mechanical shock, durability, ingress protection, weatherproofing, EMI/EMC, or similar qualification testing.

• Familiarity with MIL-STD or other defense, aerospace, automotive, electronics, or high-reliability product test standards.

• Experience designing mechanical fixtures, electrical test interfaces, custom instrumentation, or prototype test hardware.

• Experience developing automated test equipment, hardware-in-the-loop systems, production test fixtures, or end-of-line acceptance tests.

• Familiarity with requirements traceability matrices, verification matrices, qualification plans, or formal verification documentation.

• Experience with measurement uncertainty, calibration, metrology, or instrumentation-system validation.

• Experience with structured failure analysis, root-cause investigation, corrective action, or experimental design.

• Experience transitioning prototype or engineering test methods into repeatable production processes.

• Experience supporting external laboratories, field testing, range testing, or customer-witnessed testing.

• Interest in helping build the technical capability, tools, and working practices of a growing Test & Verification Engineering organization.

Benefits included:

• Generous PTO policy

• Comprehensive medical coverage (80% company-paid for employee + dependents).

• Vision & dental (100% company-paid)

• Short and long-term disability coverage (100% company-paid)

• Generous 401(k) retirement plan

• Company-paid life insurance

• Great teammates and well stocked snacks

LIFE IN MOORE COUNTY, NC (PINEHURST AREA)

Kraken Kinetics is based in Moore County, North Carolina, home to Pinehurst, a nationally recognized destination offering an exceptional quality of life.

Employees benefit from a low cost of living, minimal congestion, and a strong sense of community, with easy access to larger metropolitan areas, including Raleigh-Durham.

Whether you're looking to accelerate your career or put down long-term roots, the Pinehurst area offers a compelling alternative to traditional tech and defense hubs.

We are committed to supporting relocation for the right candidates.

Watch what it’s like to live here:
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EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Kraken Kinetics is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and welcome applicants of all backgrounds.