Heat-to-Power System Test Technician
$83,200–$101,920 year
On-siteSan Jose, California, United States
Job Summary
Operate and maintain high-temperature test platforms by independently setting up, running, and shutting down electrical discharge prototypes, including unattended and overnight campaigns within defined limits. Maintain test rigs through mechanical assembly, instrumentation calibration, and gas/cooling system checks while tracking consumables and spare parts to prevent delays. Collect and validate post-test datasets for design iteration, troubleshoot sensor and control issues, and update procedures and safety documentation. Recognize off-nominal behavior and escalate decisions to the on-call engineer when limits are exceeded. Work onsite in San Jose, CA, with an hourly rate of $40-$49, supporting Antora's mission to deploy thermal energy storage for industrial operations and data centers.
Required Qualifications
- 5+ years of hands-on experience operating and maintaining experimental or production hardware, test rigs, or complex equipment (research, industrial, military, or similar)
- Associate's or Bachelor's degree in an engineering or technical field, or equivalent hands-on experience
- Thermal, mechanical, electrical, or related engineering or technical background sufficient to make operating judgment calls
- Strong hands-on skills with fixtures, sensors, and test equipment; demonstrated attention to data quality, repeatability, and rigor
- Proven ability to troubleshoot mechanical, thermal, electrical, or instrumentation issues independently
- Strong safety awareness around physical systems, electricity, and elevated temperatures
- Clear written and verbal communication; experience documenting procedures and results
- Ability to work onsite and independently manage test tasks with guidance from senior engineers
- Comfortable using AI tools to accelerate documentation, data analysis, troubleshooting, and procedure writing; able to critically evaluate AI-generated output
Desired Qualifications
- Experience with high-temperature systems, thermal testing, furnaces, heaters, or vacuum environments
- Familiarity with data acquisition systems (Python-based DAQ, PLCs, or similar) and controls or automation scripting
- Experience with instrumentation such as thermocouples, pyrometers, RTDs, pressure sensors, current/voltage measurement, or optical diagnostics
- Prior work with photovoltaics, power electronics, energy conversion, or other experimental energy systems
- Experience producing clean, reusable test procedures and lab documentation
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