Test Engineer Principal

About the position

SAIC is seeking a Test Engineer Chief to support the AF TENCAP HOPE 2.0 contract. The AF TENCAP HOPE 2.0 contract bridges intelligence community collection architectures, capabilities, and technologies with DoD operational and tactical requirements. This effort will deliver rapid, innovative, and cost-effective capabilities to meet warfighter needs, and will include bringing national capabilities to bear across all warfighting domains spanning intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, combat applications, battlespace awareness, command and control, multi-level security and mission programs. This next generation approach shall employ the latest advancements in geolocation and tagging, sensor and data fusion, unconventional / asymmetric warfare, situational awareness, cyberspace and spectrum warfare, large data analytics, data lake, jamming technologies, sensor technologies, geo-registration to deliver a cutting-edge approach. As the Test Engineer Chief on the AF TENCAP HOPE 2.0 contract, you will lead all Test and Evaluation (T&E) activities, providing guidance on the design, execution, and analysis of test plans and procedures. Your role will ensure all developed prototypes meet or exceed performance, security, and operational requirements, leveraging digital engineering tools, participating in DoD exercises, incorporating DevSecOps practices, and interfacing with government test authorities and DT/OT Test organizations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the SME and leader for all T&E activities, providing guidance on the design, execution, and analysis of test plans and procedures.
• Ensure compliance with military standards and lead cross-functional teams through complex testing cycles for prototype systems.
• Identify issues and failures during testing, lead root cause analysis, and collaborate with engineering teams to propose solutions and modifications.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, including Test Procedures, Test Case Definitions, Test Scripts, and Integration Checklists.
• Establish and manage test environments, ensuring all necessary equipment, software, and configurations are in place for accurate and reproducible tests.
• Identify, develop, and implement tools needed for automated testing and performance monitoring.
• Lead efforts to streamline test execution and improve the efficiency of testing processes through automation.
• Develop a tailored Test Plan in accordance with the Air Force Test Center (AFTC) Test Plan Guide, including Integrated Assessment Plans (IAPs) and relevant operational concepts.
• Update the test plan throughout all phases of the testing cycle to capture testing results.
• Prepare Test/Lab Reports to document lessons learned and other applicable information for AF TENCAP and its mission partners.
• Provide engineering and system design support.
• Mentor and manage junior engineers, providing guidance and support.

Requirements

• Active Top Secret Clearance with the ability to obtain a TS/SCI.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• 14 years of experience in Software or System test development or execution.
• 5 years of experience in System Testing for classified DoD/IC systems.
• 5 years of experience leading technical teams.
• Experience in tools and technologies essential for effective T&E activities, such as Automation Tools (Selenium, TestComplete, JUnit), Defect Tracking Systems (Jira, Bugzilla), and CI/CD Tools (Jenkins, GitLab, Bamboo).
• Experience with Digital Engineering tools (e.g. Aras Innovator, Cameo).
• Experience with DoD DT&E and OT&E process.
• Experience participating in DoD Large Force Exercises or using DoD Test Ranges.

Nice-to-haves

• DoD 8570/8140 certifications or equivalent in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity (e.g., Security+ or higher).
• Experience in rapid prototyping and transitioning systems to operational use.

Benefits

• 401k
• health_insurance
• dental_insurance
• vision_insurance
• life_insurance
• disability_insurance
• paid_holidays
• paid_volunteer_time
• tuition_reimbursement
• professional_development