About the opportunity

Fairwinds Technologies is continuously looking for curious, methodical, and hands-on early-career engineers who want to verify that advanced communications, RF, embedded-computing, and mixed-signal products perform as intended. In this role, you may support either our xG or Mixed Signal product development team, or technical-services contracts aligned with those product areas.

You will work alongside experienced test, systems, RF, network, DSP, FPGA, embedded software, electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, and quality personnel to plan tests, configure equipment, collect evidence, analyze results, troubleshoot failures, and improve repeatability. Assignments may span internal product development and customer-funded research, integration, qualification, demonstration, acceptance, and field-support activities.

What you will do

Help translate product, system, interface, and customer requirements into clear test objectives, methods, procedures, data needs, and acceptance criteria.
Develop and maintain test plans, test cases, procedures, checklists, test configurations, data sheets, traceability records, and formal test reports.
Configure and operate laboratory equipment, radios, network devices, embedded systems, channel emulators, RF components, computers, and automated test environments.
Execute functional, performance, interoperability, regression, environmental-support, reliability, and acceptance testing under established procedures.
Collect, organize, visualize, and analyze test data for metrics such as signal quality, frequency response, gain, noise, throughput, latency, packet loss, error rate, timing, thermal behavior, and system stability.
Use oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, network analyzers, power meters, logic analyzers, packet-capture tools, and comparable instruments as appropriate to the assignment.
Create Python, MATLAB, Bash, or other scripts to automate equipment control, configuration checks, data collection, analysis, plotting, and report inputs.
Document test anomalies, reproduce failures, isolate contributing conditions, support root-cause investigations, and verify corrective actions.
Coordinate test readiness, equipment availability, calibration status, software and firmware baselines, test articles, interfaces, safety controls, and configuration records.
Participate in laboratory and field testing, customer demonstrations, design reviews, test-readiness reviews, and technical-service deliverables.

Technology and mission areas

Depending on assignment, you may contribute in one or more of the following areas:

xG wireless systems, including 5G, non-terrestrial networking, tactical communications, software-defined radio, mesh and mobile networks, radio integration, gateways, and edge-compute platforms.
Mixed Signal products, including Global Link and EchoPhase-related capabilities, channel emulation, coherent combining, wideband RF systems, high-speed digital and data-converter interfaces, and embedded control.
Radio and network performance, interoperability, RF translation, signal-path alignment, waveform behavior, channel effects, synchronization, calibration, and system management.
Integrated systems that combine RF, antennas, DSP, FPGA logic, embedded Linux, networking, power, mechanical packaging, firmware, and management software.
Government-funded R&D and technical-services contracts involving test planning, configuration, integration, performance characterization, documentation, demonstrations, acceptance support, and field troubleshooting.

Minimum qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Engineering Technology, or a closely related technical field, completed or expected before start date.
Coursework, laboratory, internship, capstone, research, maker-space, or personal-project experience involving test, measurement, troubleshooting, integration, data analysis, or technical documentation.
Foundational understanding of the engineering test lifecycle, including objectives, configurations, procedures, measurement, repeatability, acceptance criteria, and reporting.
Basic experience using laboratory instruments, software tools, command-line utilities, or data-analysis applications to investigate technical behavior.
Ability to follow controlled procedures while recognizing unexpected results, asking good questions, and documenting observations accurately.
Ability to use structured problem solving, organize test evidence, communicate assumptions, and explain results clearly.
Ability to collaborate in a multidisciplinary engineering environment and satisfy customer, site-access, export-control, and security requirements associated with assigned work.

Preferred, not required

Hands-on experience testing radios, networks, electronics, embedded systems, RF components, software, mechanical hardware, or integrated prototypes.
Exposure to Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, Bash, Linux, Git, instrument-control interfaces, automated test frameworks, or continuous integration.
Familiarity with RF or electronic test equipment, packet analysis, traffic generation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, or environmental test equipment.
Coursework or project experience in wireless communications, RF systems, digital signal processing, 5G or LTE, non-terrestrial networks, software-defined radio, satellite communications, computer networks, or embedded systems.
Awareness of requirements traceability, verification matrices, regression testing, configuration management, calibration, uncertainty, statistical analysis, or quality systems.
Experience preparing technical plots, concise findings, test reports, troubleshooting logs, or customer-facing engineering documentation.

What success looks like

First 90 days: learn the assigned product or program, laboratory environment, test equipment, safety practices, configuration workflow, requirements, and acceptance criteria; execute scoped tests with mentoring.
First 6 months: independently prepare and execute a defined test procedure, automate or improve part of the workflow, analyze the data, document anomalies, and communicate defensible conclusions.
First year: own a defined test capability, product-verification area, automated workflow, integration environment, or acceptance activity and become a dependable contributor across test, systems, RF, network, software, FPGA, DSP, manufacturing, and quality boundaries.

Why join Fairwinds Technologies

Work on products and customer-funded R&D activities within the same technical domain, connecting requirements and engineering designs with measured performance and operational use cases.
Gain broad exposure to wireless systems, RF hardware, software-defined radios, channel emulation, coherent systems, embedded computing, networking, automation, laboratory integration, and field testing.
Learn from experienced multidisciplinary personnel while receiving meaningful test-planning, equipment, automation, troubleshooting, analysis, and documentation responsibilities early in your career.
Join a growing technology organization expanding its xG and Mixed Signal portfolios and strengthening repeatable product-development, verification, and technical-service practices.

How to apply

Submit your resume and, if available, links or short descriptions for relevant test plans, laboratory work, automation scripts, data analyses, capstone projects, research, internships, troubleshooting activities, technical papers, or portfolios. Tell us what you tested, what you personally contributed, how you controlled the test and evaluated the result, and what you learned.

EVERGREEN RECRUITING NOTICE

This posting supports continuous recruiting for anticipated entry-level needs. Applications may be reviewed as positions and program requirements become available. Submission does not guarantee an immediate opening or interview.

Compensation- Salary

At Fairwinds, we consider many factors when it comes to compensation, including the scope of the position as well as your background and experience. Base pay may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, location and experience. Additional incentives may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

This is a full time, exempt position.

Work Authorization/Security Clearance:

Must be eligible to work in the US.

AAP/EEO Statement

Fairwinds Technologies, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer – M/F/Veteran/Disability/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity

Entry Level- Test Engineer (Onsite- Aberdeen Maryland)

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