Associate Test Engineer

About Estes Energy:
Estes develops and manufactures exceptional zero-emission power systems that unlock true scale and performance for the electrification of the commercial vehicle and equipment markets. Estes will democratize electrification by enabling powertrain solutions at better cost and performance than diesel solutions, for both high-volume established OEMs making thousands of vehicles per year, and industry newcomers making next generation electrified vehicles and equipment.

Here’s the ugly truth. Approximately 3.9 million barrels of diesel fuel (equal to 5.8 Terawatt-hours of energy) are consumed every day across the United States, mostly by commercial vehicles and equipment. That’s 1.66 megatonnes of CO2 GHG emissions every day. That’s 353 kilotonnes of NOx and 9.92 kilotonnes of SOx gases emitted, poisoning our people and planet, every day. We exist to move the needle on transitioning a century old diesel burning industry to electric.

What are our principles to solve this problem? Simple.

1. Start with People

• A company can only be as good as its people.
• Generate a gravity well to attract the people of the best character and competence.
• Foster an incredible culture where the best people work together to solve deeply meaningful problems.

2. Drive solutions from first principles with a 3rd generation approach

• Architect and engineer systems to make a simple, reliable, and cost-competitive product.
• Liberate lightweight and low or zero carbon footprint materials that can be used in automotive-grade processes at scale.
• Solve the battery cell multi-chemistry problem to serve both mass-sensitive and cost-sensitive commercial markets.

3. Make things. Here.

• Raw material in. Product out. In the United States.
• Put the right atoms together - at scale - in a cost-efficient manner.
• Partner with the best technology partners. Cells. Electronics. Materials. We will innovate together and share success with those who dare to be bold with us.

Associate Test Engineer

The Impact You’ll Make / About the Role: As a Test Engineer on our team, you will play a hands-on role in executing product validation activities to ensure the safety, performance, and reliability of our high-voltage battery packs. You’ll focus on planning tests, running experiments, and collecting and analyzing data that directly informs product development from early concepts through production launch and beyond.

Key Responsibilities:

• Test Planning & Execution: Develop and execute mechanical, thermal, and electrical test plans and procedures. Instrument test articles, run experiments, and ensure documentation and execution adhere to internal, industry, and automotive standards.

• Test System Development: Design, fabricate, instrument, and automate sophisticated test setups, fixtures, and harnesses to reproduce mechanical, thermal, and electrical stresses at cell, module, and pack levels.

• Analysis & Troubleshooting: Process and summarize test data, identify failure modes, drive root-cause analysis with design, manufacturing, and reliability engineers. Work with the team to determine clear, actionable insights and recommendations for design or process changes.

• Lab Operations & Continuous Improvement: Support day-to-day lab activities, help maintain test equipment, and work with technicians to efficiently and safely execute tests. Identify opportunities to improve testing and data acquisition methods.

• Safety & Compliance: Maintain safe practices in the lab through test design & automation. Follow high-voltage lithium-ion battery safety protocols.

What You Bring (Qualifications):

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a closely related engineering field (M.S. a plus).

• 0-2 years of hands-on experience in hardware validation and reliability testing, applicable classes or internships.

• Fundamental knowledge in statics, mechanics of materials, fluids, heat transfer, measurement and instrumentation, and linear circuits.

• Strong attention to detail and commitment to safe lab practices.

• Team oriented, proactive, and an effective communicator eager to learn in a growing company.

Bonus:

• Experience with high-voltage battery systems, power electronics, or comparable electro-mechanical/e-mobility systems.

• Familiarity with an object-oriented programming language (e.g., Python, MATLAB) for data analysis, test automation, and equipment control.

• Experience with 3D CAD software for fixture design and mechanical structures.

• Experience setting up and operating test equipment (e.g., DAQs, oscilloscopes, power supplies, environmental chambers, battery cyclers).

Working at Estes: Our Core Tenets

At Estes, we operate with shared values and virtues that set our culture.
We are a small, deeply technical team with ambitious goals.

Reason from First Principles

• We don’t solely rely on precedent, anecdotes — we ask “why,” challenge assumptions, and get to the root of every problem before building up from fundamentals.

Only Data Can Save Us

• We prioritize experimentation over speculation. We build orthogonal approaches towards data test hypotheses, and we deeply care about data integrity. This is what separates data from lore.

Take Deep Ownership and Excel at Your Craft

• You are never on an island, we work for each other, and together. Along with that, every team member is empowered and expected to own and lead. We take full ownership of our domains and continuously refine our skills with intellectual honesty and humility. 

Design for Cost and Scale at Every Stage

• Whether we’re building a prototype or defining a spec, we’re always asking: How will this scale? How does it become affordable?

Operate with Good Faith and Accountability

• We trust each other’s intent and integrity. We challenge directly, support wholeheartedly, and hold ourselves and each other to high standards.

Commitment to Diverse Perspectives and Equal Opportunity

At Estes, we are building a team grounded in competence, character, and mutual respect. We believe diverse perspectives are essential to solving meaningful and complex problems of our industry.

We provide a workplace free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, and we ensure equal opportunity in all employment practices. Every team member is valued for their contributions and empowered to grow in a culture of integrity, autonomy, and shared purpose.

This is a full-time role with a base salary of $90,000–$120,000 and meaningful equity participation. Compensation is tailored to experience and role scope. Benefits include health, dental, vision, and a 401(k).