Test Engineer, DAQ & Instrumentation

THE MISSION

Astra Core-X (ACX) is developing affordable and capable combined ramjet/rocket missile interceptors for the defense of the United States and our allies. We're rapidly bringing this capability to market by pairing the latest manufacturing processes and technology with solid financial backing and the guidance of world-class industry experts and research institutions.

Over the past year ACX has grown from a founding team into a roughly 40-person organization standing up its own missile interceptor production capability out of Broomfield, Colorado and a production/test site in Chugwater, Wyoming. We're mid-build on a production facility and targeting a working pilot line within the next year. At this size, every hire directly shapes how the company runs.

Our work exists to make American service members and allied forces safer. We're glad to have teammates who've carried that mission in uniform, and we welcome veterans and transitioning service members to apply.

THE ROLE

We're moving from ground testing toward flight, and every launch is only as good as the data we bring home. This role exists to build the electronics and data acquisition systems that capture it. You'll design, build, and field the DAQ and instrumentation that support our flight launches, then travel with the team to run it on the range.

You'll also be the person who makes sure we're actually ready to test. That means leading Test Readiness Reviews (TRR) and Operational Test Readiness reviews (OTR) with a larger test team, working hands-on alongside our technicians, and keeping the documentation tight enough that every configuration, calibration, and result can be traced. We're deliberately small and deliberately fast, and we equip every team with modern software and AI-assisted tools so a lean group can run like a much bigger one.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Design, build, and field the DAQ systems, instrumentation, and test electronics required to support flight launches and ground tests.

• Specify, integrate, and calibrate sensors (pressure, temperature, strain, acceleration) and the signal conditioning, cabling, and harnessing behind them.

• Develop and maintain LabVIEW (or equivalent) acquisition and control software.

• Lead TRR and OTR reviews with the broader test team, driving open items to closure before hardware goes to the range.

• Travel up to 50% to test and launch sites to set up, operate, and troubleshoot DAQ and instrumentation in the field.

• Work alongside technicians on builds and test execution, providing clear direction, procedures, and hands-on support.

• Write and maintain test plans, procedures, wiring diagrams, calibration records, and test reports with full configuration traceability.

• Reduce, review, and report test data so engineering decisions are made on good data, fast.

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• B.S. in Electrical, Aerospace, or Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.

• 3+ years of hands-on experience with DAQ systems, testing, and instrumentation (NI, HBM, Dewesoft, or similar).

• Working proficiency with LabVIEW.

• Demonstrated discipline with test documentation: plans, procedures, as-run records, and reports that hold up to review.

• Experience leading or presenting at formal test reviews and coordinating across a multi-disciplinary test team.

• Ability to travel up to 50%, including extended stays at remote test and launch sites.

• This role requires access to export-controlled technical data and a controlled-access facility. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and eligible for a U.S. government security clearance.

NICE TO HAVE

• Flight test experience, especially rocket, missile, or launch-vehicle programs on a test range. This is highly desirable.

• RF experience: telemetry, antennas, link budgets, or range communication systems.

• Experience working with or around energetics and solid propellants.

• Electronics design and fabrication experience, including schematic capture, PCB layout, or harness build to IPC/WHMA-A-620.

• Active U.S. government security clearance.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The salary range for this role is $95,000 – $120,000 per year, based on experience and scope.

Full-time employees are eligible for company-sponsored medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan, and paid time off.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Astra Core-X is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate all applicants on their merits and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law. Many ACX positions require access to export-controlled technical data; where this posting states a citizenship requirement, it reflects that legal restriction and does not otherwise limit our commitment to equal opportunity in hiring.