Test & Operations Integration Engineer (Product Test Engineering Background)

About X-Bow

X-Bow Systems is a cutting-edge aerospace technology company focused on revolutionizing solid propellant propulsion systems for space exploration and defense applications. Our team of innovative engineers and scientists is committed to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in rocket propulsion and manufacturing.

About the Role

This role is an excellent opportunity for someone with product test engineering experience to work at a broader, enterprise level.

We are seeking a Test & Operations Integration Engineer to transform how physical testing, manufacturing operations, and engineering execution are connected within our Digital Engineering ecosystem.

This role is at the intersection of software engineering, test engineering, manufacturing, instrumentation, automation, and data systems. Rather than focusing on individual pieces of equipment or isolated software integrations, you will build the digital foundation that connects physical operations to engineering, creating a continuous digital thread from material characterization and manufacturing through qualification testing and flight hardware.

You will partner directly with manufacturing engineers, test engineers, quality, IT, and software engineering to ensure every significant engineering event occurring in the physical world becomes structured, traceable, and immediately available throughout the enterprise.

Responsibilities

• Lead the integration of laboratory equipment, manufacturing systems, test stands, DAQ systems, sensors, historians, SCADA, MES, and industrial software into a unified digital ecosystem

• Work directly with manufacturing and test organizations to understand existing workflows, identify inefficiencies, and design software solutions that significantly improve operational visibility, data quality, and engineering productivity

• Design reusable interfaces, services, APIs, SDKs, and equipment adapters that standardize how operational data enters the engineering ecosystem

• Architect event-driven data pipelines that automatically capture test metadata, manufacturing genealogy, process parameters, equipment status, and engineering results with complete traceability and provenance

• Build the digital thread connecting physical assets, work orders, manufacturing processes, inspection results, laboratory characterization, qualification testing and engineering analyses

• Partner with Software Engineering and Engineering Integration to ensure manufacturing and test systems become first-class participants within the enterprise architecture rather than isolated data siloes

• Contribute to the overall technical architecture of the Digital Engineering platform while serving as the primary technical interface between software engineering and operations organizations

• Drive adoption of modern data acquisition, automation, and operational workflows through technical leadership and close engagement with manufacturing and test personnel

Desired Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in a fast-paced engineering environment

• Strong software engineering background with experience developing industrial, manufacturing, laboratory, or test software

• Experience integrating laboratory equipment, DAQ systems, PLCs, SCADA, MES, industrial protocols, or hardware interfaces

• Demonstrated ability to bridge hardware and software while working closely with manufacturing, test and operations personnel

• Experience with distributed systems, APIs, messaging architectures, or real-time data pipelines

• Familiarity with industrial communication technologies such as OPC UA, MQTT, Modbus, LabView, or similar technologies is desirable

• Strong systems thinking with a passion for improving engineering and operational workflows

Education

Bachelor's Degree or higher in Engineering or relevant technical field.

Location

This is intended to be a hybrid position with up to 60% on site at our Luling, Texas facility. An average week could be less depending on preference and on-site activity.