Test Engineer

$65,000 - $117,500/Yr

Leidos - McLean, VA

Full-time - Mid Level

McLean, VA

10,001+ employees

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

About the position

Leidos is seeking a Test and QA Engineer to join the team at the Saxton Transportation Operations Laboratory (STOL), a USDOT research lab dedicated to enhancing transportation operations, safety, mobility, and environmental impacts. This role is pivotal in developing, testing, and extending various applications and components that support transportation research, particularly in the realm of Connected Automated Vehicles (CAV) and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). The successful candidate will be part of a dynamic research team that focuses on advancing connected and automated vehicle technologies for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). In this position, the Test Engineer will be responsible for creating comprehensive testing and evaluation (T&E) campaign plans, developing test procedures, and managing the logistics of testing operations. The role requires collaboration with project teams, customers, and external stakeholders to understand the Concept of Operations and T&E requirements. The engineer will also be tasked with writing test protocols, developing simulations, and analyzing test data to ensure that systems meet performance standards and specifications. The ideal candidate will thrive in both lab and real-world settings, enjoying hands-on work with hardware and software. They will conduct field and virtual testing, perform integration and validation testing, and actively communicate issues and solutions with internal and external teams. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the future of transportation technology while working in a supportive and innovative environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop testing and evaluation (T&E) campaign plans, test plans, and data management plans.
• Work with project teams, customers, and external stakeholders to grasp Concept of Operations or T&E requirements.
• Write test procedures and protocols to assess system reliability and evaluate the ability of systems to meet performance standards and specifications.
• Develop test simulations to evaluate how systems react under different conditions and analyze system failure to assess the integrity and reliability of system performance.
• Develop the functional and technical performance metrics based on the test plan goals or test scenario objectives.
• Collect, analyze, and evaluate test data and report results to conclude if system designs and architecture meet specifications and performance expectations.
• Plan the testing logistics and assist with identifying and obtaining the use of needed laboratory or field operational test facilities.
• Coordinate with program Systems Engineering (SE) team and review T&E-related SE information to leverage functional analysis, system descriptions, parameter selection and dependencies, Modeling and Simulation, and initial performance risk assessments to inform evaluation planning.
• Ensure test readiness including training of test event participants regarding conduct of the event, equipment readiness, and security, legal, and privacy compliance arrangements.
• Conduct field/virtualized distributed testing with in-house or external teams to execute the T&E of one or more systems, including physical testing of automated vehicles and connected infrastructure.
• Perform integration, verification, validation, and/or regression testing of Connected Vehicle- and Infrastructure-based applications on various platforms.
• Actively convey issues and solutions to internal and external teams.
• Interact with in-house and external development teams to identify, understand, and resolve technical goals and challenges.
• Participate in customer and supplier technical interchange discussions.
• Manage the day-to-day activities of the test team that consists of hardware (electrical and mechanical) engineers, software engineers, and technicians.
• Support planning, estimation, scheduling, and resource management of test development and execution.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Computer Engineering, Electrical, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering or closely related field.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience developing comprehensive test plans, scenarios, and performance metrics.
• Minimum of 3 years of exposure working in a lab and/or test environment.
• Background/working knowledge with Linux and Windows operating systems.
• Background/working knowledge testing, evaluating, and troubleshooting software written in C++ and/or Python in a Linux environment.
• Familiarity and/or practice using automated test tools on software projects.
• Background with hardware/software-in-the-loop test development and testing.
• Working knowledge on programs using the Agile Scrum methodology and Agile frameworks using toolsets such as Jira and Confluence.
• Self-motivated with ability to self-teach with minimal guidance and quickly be proficient in new tools/technologies.
• Interest in hands-on work with hardware and software.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to follow through on commitments and deliver quality products on or ahead of schedule.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance (which includes three years of immediate residency in the US).
• Hold a valid driver's license in the US and have a good driving record.

Nice-to-haves

• Knowledge of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), V2X, simulation, CDA, and CAV's.
• Comprehension of connected and/or automated vehicle operations.
• Familiarity with the systems engineering processes and procedures, particularly testing and quality assurance.
• Ability to identify efficiencies and process improvements between the development and testing disciplines.
• Knowledge of testing and quality assurance processes and best practices.
• Knowledge of safety best practices for full scale vehicle testing, especially involving pedestrians.
• Background with network administration and network simulation tools (e.g. NS-3).
• Comprehension of vehicle kinematics, dynamics, and controls, including sensors and its calibration.
• Prior work with Java, Python, SQL, C++, C#, C.
• Familiarity with simulation environments (e.g. SUMO, CARLA, etc.).
• Hands-on setup of data collection hardware and software.
• Prior involvement deploying robotics platforms in the real world and/or in simulation.
• Familiarity with connected vehicle and ITS standards including IEEE 1609, 3GPP Rel 14/15 PC5, SAE J2735/J2945/J3161, NTCIP 1202/1218.
• Background with wireless standards including IEEE 802.11 & 1609, 3GPP LTE & 5G, SAE J2735 & J2945.
• Previous engagement with external communities and stakeholders.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation
• Health and Wellness programs
• Life Protection
• Paid Leave
• Retirement benefits