Test Systems Engineer

Test Systems EngineerTau is fixing the bottleneck in power conversion technology for data centers, EVs, and energy systems. We're a venture-backed hardtech company in Redwood City, building power conversion technology. Customers are buying, volume is coming, and the people who join now set the standard everyone builds on after.Who You AreYou think in systems, and you build for reality. You'd rather ship the simplest reliable answer to an engineering question than the most sophisticated one. You know the difference between complexity that earns its keep and complexity for its own sake.You default to structure without needing to be told to. You see a recurring issue and build the fix that prevents it from recurring, not just the fix for today. You document because someone else needs to be able to run this without you in the room, not because you were asked to.You have real judgment about risk. You know when "good enough" is actually good enough, and when it isn't, and you're comfortable being the person who says so even when it's inconvenient. High-voltage safety, interlocks, fault handling: you don't treat these as boxes to check, you treat them as the reason the job matters.You want ownership over a domain that's core to how the whole engineering org performs, and you want to be measured on the capability you build, not just the hours you put in.Our Engineering ApproachSolve customer problems, not engineering puzzles. Great technical work becomes exceptional when it creates reliable products, enables meaningful new capability, and solves real customer problems.Think in systems. Understand how your work affects the complete product and the people who build it. Make tradeoffs that improve the whole, not just your direct area of ownership.Exercise judgment. Apply the engineering rigor the risk requires. Make timely decisions with the available evidence, communicate uncertainty, and balance technical excellence with program needs.Raise the standard. Deliver quality work on time, improve how the team works, and leave the products, systems, tools, and people around you better than you found them.About the RoleThe lab is where every engineering claim gets checked against reality. If the data's untrustworthy, every downstream decision, design, program timeline, and customer commitment inherits that risk without anyone noticing until it's expensive.This role owns that. You're responsible for the test infrastructure, the standards it runs on, and the judgment call on what's good enough to trust. You'll work across Mechanical, Power Electronics, Controls, Embedded Software, Manufacturing, and Program Management, and you'll have real authority to say a system isn't ready, a result isn't credible, or a process needs to change, and make that stick.We want someone who biases toward structure: documented, repeatable, built to outlast any one person's memory of how it works. Not because process is the point, but because at 40-50 people and growing, tribal knowledge is a liability. At the same time, this isn't a role where you build the org chart and step back. You're in the lab. You're commissioning systems, debugging with the team at 6pm, mentoring technicians on measurement methods. Player-coach, not dictator. You set the standard by being good enough at the work that people want to follow suit, not standards by decree.Because our success depends on collaboration, we expect new employees to work onsite five days a week to build strong working relationships with the team.Areas of OwnershipTest Infrastructure and StandardsOwn the dynamometers, inverter test systems, environmental support systems, and lab infrastructure end to endSet the standards for what counts as commissioned, calibrated, and trustworthy, and hold the org to themPlan and execute capability upgrades with minimal disruption to active programsTest System DevelopmentTranslate engineering objectives into safe, repeatable test capabilityIntegrate mechanical, electrical, controls, instrumentation, cooling, automation, and safety systemsOwn the safety philosophy: interlocks, e-stop logic, fault handling, operator protectionCommission and validate systems before engineering release. Nothing goes live on your say alone until it's earned itMeasurement and Data IntegritySpecify sensors, instrumentation, DAQ architectureBuild measurement strategies that answer the actual engineering question, not just collect numbersValidate accuracy through calibration, uncertainty analysis, correlation, repeatabilityBe the person who can say, credibly, "trust this data" or "don't"Lab Operations and Standards EnforcementRun preventive maintenance, calibration, troubleshooting, repairOwn lab organization, documentation, safety, and operating procedure as an operating system, not a set of one-off fixesEliminate recurring issues through durable corrective action, not repeated patchingSupport procurement and lab upkeep where it affects test capabilityCross-Functional AuthorityPartner with Mechanical, Power Electronics, Embedded Software, Controls, Manufacturing, Program Management, suppliers, and customersPush back on requirements, timelines, or designs when the lab side can't safely or credibly support themTranslate cross-functional input into test capability that actually answers the question being askedTechnical LeadershipMentor engineers and technicians in measurement method, safe operation, and lab standardsBuild capability that scales. The goal is a lab that runs at this standard whether or not you're in the room that dayOperationalize Tau's engineering principles into how the lab actually runs day to day, not just how it's describedTechnical FoundationYou'll likely have depth in some of these and working knowledge across most:Electrical, mechatronic, mechanical, or controls system designInstrumentation, sensors, signal conditioning, DAQ architectureControls integration and lab automationHigh-voltage safety, interlocks, e-stops, fault handlingCalibration, uncertainty analysis, correlation, repeatabilityCommissioning and troubleshooting complex systemsRoot-cause analysis and structured problem solvingPython, LabVIEW, PLCs, or comparable automation toolsExperienceThree years developing, commissioning, or improving complex test systems. A bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, Controls Engineering, or a closely related field, or equivalent demonstrated experience.Relevant backgrounds: electric powertrains, dynamometers, aerospace test, automotive test, industrial automation, robotics, energy systems. Anywhere measurement quality and equipment reliability were treated as non-negotiable.What Success Looks Like in Year OneThe lab runs on standards you set, and people follow them because they trust your judgment, not because they were told toEngineers make faster, better decisions because the data underneath them is credibleYou've caught and fixed at least one recurring failure mode at the root, not just patched the symptomLeadership relies on you to own the lab side of operations without needing to check inYou're still hands-on: in the room for commissioning, debugging, and the hard calls, not managing from a distanceCompensation and BenefitsUS Salary Information$91,000 - $239,000Tau is committed to paying competitive compensation that is fair and equitable. Your experience, qualifications, training, critical skills, and/or business considerations determine your compensation. We also offer a comprehensive benefits package that may include an annual performance bonus, equity, and other incentive compensation plans considered part of Tau's total compensation package.PerksBecome part of an emerging company during a rapid growth phase—within an industry undergoing dramatic transformation for a global imperative.Work with some of the smartest and most talented experts from different fields to: (1) attack some of the most pressing issues Tau