Systems Test & Integration Engineer

Airborne Optical Systems
Burlington, ON

To be considered for a position at PVLabs, candidates must be eligible to meet the requirements of Canada's Controlled Goods Program under the Defence Production Act and be able to obtain and maintain the security clearances required for their work. If you are unsure about your eligibility, please consult the Government of Canada website HERE.

About the Role

At PVLabs, the most useful person at a test bench does more than follow the procedure. They recognize a misleading setup, question an unexpected result and work out what the system is telling them.

We build airborne imaging systems that combine precision mechanics, optics, electronics, controls, software and laser technologies. We are seeking a Senior Test & Integration Engineer who can bring those elements together and demonstrate that they perform reliably.

You will own assigned integration and verification work—from defining test methods and preparing setups to running tests, investigating faults and explaining the results. In our small, multidisciplinary team, that might mean refining a test plan in the morning and tracing an intermittent hardware problem in the afternoon.

We expect independent delivery, practical engineering judgment and clear recommendations on corrective action and product readiness. You will coordinate specialist input where needed and help strengthen the team's testing capability.

About the Responsibilities

Starting now:

Learn our systems, requirements and quality practices while taking ownership of defined assignments. Establish dependable setups and identify gaps in test methods, coverage or product knowledge.

At 3 months in:

Independently plan and deliver assigned integration and verification work. Coordinate dependencies, investigate failures and document conclusions. Provide engineers with useful evidence and technicians with practical guidance.

At 6 months and onward:

Own more complex investigations and environmental test activities. Improve repeatability, address recurring failures and help the team deliver systems with greater confidence and fewer avoidable delays.

About the Details

• Translate requirements into test plans, methods and acceptance criteria, resolving ambiguity with the relevant design engineers.
• Plan integration sequences and coordinate equipment, fixtures, configurations and hardware readiness.
• Build and validate test setups, checking instrument suitability, calibration, repeatability and measurement limitations.
• Integrate subsystems and carry out calibration, alignment, functional verification and production acceptance testing.
• Support optical boresight, laser and environmental testing where trained and authorized.
• Investigate complex and intermittent faults using measurements, logs, controlled experiments and engineering analysis.
• Recommend corrective actions, work with engineering on approved changes and verify the results through appropriate retesting.
• Maintain traceable configurations, test records and non-conformance reports. Explain what the evidence demonstrates and what remains unresolved.
• Improve procedures, fixtures, automation and production checks through controlled review and implementation.
• Perform or guide assembly and repairs needed for testing, and coach technicians in troubleshooting and interpretation.
• Provide credible estimates, raise delivery risks early and follow applicable quality, handling and safety requirements
  

Key Requirements

• Typically five or more years of relevant experience with complex electromechanical, electronic or mechatronics systems. Demonstrated depth and independent delivery matter more than time served.
• An engineering degree, relevant technical diploma or equivalent combination of education and demonstrated engineering capability.
• Progressively broader responsibility across test, integration, assembly, service, field support or engineering.
• Experience independently planning verification work, developing test methods and assessing results against requirements.
• Strong understanding of mechanical assemblies, electronics, sensors, motors, controls and their interfaces.
• Proficiency interpreting drawings and schematics and using oscilloscopes, multimeters, measurement tools and computer-based test systems.
• Demonstrated success investigating difficult faults and judging whether measurements support a technical conclusion.
• Clear technical records and sound judgment about when design changes, deviations or acceptance decisions need broader review.
• Experience coordinating work and guiding others across engineering, quality and production.

Key Nicetohavements...

• Airborne imaging, stabilized gimbals, precision opto-electronics, aerospace or defence experience.
• Optical alignment, boresighting, image-quality measurement or camera calibration.
• Laser integration and testing.
• Vibration, thermal or other environmental qualification testing.
• Test automation, scripting, data acquisition or analysis.
• New-product introduction and transfer of development tests into production.
• Familiarity with ISO 9001:2015; IPC-A-610 or IPC/WHMA-A-620 certification.

About You as a Senior Test & Integration Engineer

You are innately curious—a tinkerer whose instinct to build, adjust and experiment has developed into disciplined technical judgment. You want to understand the mechanism behind the behaviour, even when the system appears to work.

Your experience has broadened through hands-on work and increasing responsibility. You understand what engineers, technicians, leadership and operators need from the same system. You have the technical vocabulary to discuss a fault precisely and the judgment to explain its significance clearly.

People trust you because you know the work, listen carefully and distinguish facts from assumptions. You take ownership, ask for help when needed and share what you learn so the next problem is easier for the whole team to solve.

What's in It for You?

PVLabs is where test and integration engineering becomes a force multiplier. We move fast, build things that fly, and don't do ego—we do execution. You'll help turn precision optical and electro-mechanical designs into systems customers trust, with the autonomy to own demanding work and influence how we test and improve it.

We run on autonomy, mastery, and purpose—with a year-round 4-day, 32-hour work week and performance over presence. This hands-on role is centred on our Burlington integration and test facilities.

You'll join sharp, motivated people solving hard problems in stabilization, optics, motion control, and imaging tech. If you want to build what others can't, this is where you'll do your best work.