Lead Maritime Test and Evaluation Director

About the Team:

The Sensors Division within STR focuses on the development and analysis of advanced sensor systems in the RF, acoustic, and electro-optical domains. This includes the design and development of novel sensors and advanced information processing techniques from ideation to prototype implementations. The Ocean Technologies & Acoustic Systems (OTAS) Group develops and delivers advanced undersea sensors, payloads, and signal processing systems for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) applications.

STR is seeking a Maritime Test and Evaluation Director with a highly operational centric undersea-warfare background to manage the testing of a multi-disciplinary portfolio of programs focused on future maritime and undersea systems and advanced signal processing.

The Role:

In this role, you will own the end-to-end testing lifecycle.  You will establish test strategy, govern testing standards, independently determine system readiness, provide objective assessments of testing risk, and be final authority determining when a system under test is ready to move forward. You will also interface directly with company leadership, military and government stakeholders, and serve as the final authority on system readiness.

What You Will Do:

Test and Evaluation Program Ownership reporting directly to the group lead - Define, execute, and oversee the Test and Evaluation master plans

Independently assesses technical risk and system readiness, serving as the final authority for test readiness, execution, and procedural compliance

Serve as a primary technical advisor, owning a cross-program view of T&E readiness, risk, and capability gaps across a portfolio of future undersea systems and advanced signal processing algorithms

Drive standardization of test architectures, methodologies, and acceptance criteria across software, hardware, and system-level testing—ensuring consistency without sacrificing development speed

Act as connective tissue between multiple T&E efforts: identify where one program’s test infrastructure, tooling, or lessons learned can accelerate another, and drive reuse

Drive hands-on technical oversight of major qualification campaigns and developmental test programs

Direct the T&E organization in technical reviews (e.g., TRRs, CDRs, PDRs) and program milestone gates through ownership of independent technical assessment and risk characterization

Who You Are:

This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance, for which U.S. citizenship is needed by the U.S. Government

Exceptional military operational leadership will be considered in lieu of degree

BS with 8+ years relevant experience in Mechanical Engineering or Ocean Engineering (equivalent experience considered)

Demonstrated technical knowledge and hands-on experience in developmental testing, system integration (HIL/SIL), environmental/structural testing, and instrumentation, developmental testing, maritime or autonomous systems, software-intensive systems, and operational test experience

Working knowledge of software-intensive system testing, including autonomy, AI/ML model validation, sensor fusion, or similar disciplines

Working knowledge of relevant compliance frameworks and repeatable quality control outcomes

Proven ability to operate effectively without positional authority—influencing outcomes through technical credibility, relationships, and clear communication rather than org-chart power

Strong track record of independently assessing technical risk, determining system readiness, briefing senior leadership, influencing engineering teams through technical credibility, and developing repeatable T&E processes

Even Better:

Breadth of experience operating and testing systems in forward, limited-access environments

Direct experience testing or operating autonomous systems, robotics, unmanned systems, counter-UAS systems, weapon systems, or integrated hardware/software defense platforms

Prior military operational service, or in test, range operations, fires, air defense, special operations support, or unmanned systems roles

Experience supporting U.S. government exercises and evaluations, foreign military sales demonstrations, or international partner field events

Experience serving as the responsible technical authority for testing

Experience leading root-cause investigations and corrective actions following test failures

Experience balancing technical rigor, schedule, mission objectives, and program risk

Experience planning and executing operational demonstrations, fleet experimentation, or government evaluations

Willingness to travel to test events and field demonstrations

Pay Information

Full-Time Salary Range: $147,000 - $200,000

The salary range listed is based on external market data. Offers are based on factors, such as but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, education, training, key skills/critical skills, security clearances, and prevailing market and business conditions.