Lead Test Engineer - Thermal Management and Systems - GE Aerospace Research

Job Description Summary

Located in Niskayuna, New York, central to the New York Capital District, GE Aerospace Research builds on GE's 125+ years of industrial research heritage, tackling the most challenging engineering problems through multi-disciplinary teams to deliver innovative technologies. Together, we create and sustain differentiated solutions to maintain competitive advantages for GE Aerospace and our customers.
As a Test Engineer in the Thermal Management and Systems Laboratory you turn low TRL component and system concepts into hardware, you develop the test approach and concept of operations required to measure key performance objectives, and you lead the design, construction, commissioning, and operation of prototypical power and thermal management systems.

Job Description

At GE Aerospace Research, we invent the future of flight, lift people up and bring them home safely. The Thermal Management and Systems Laboratory at GE Aerospace Research develops innovative solutions that move and convert energy between mechanical, fluid-thermal, and electrical domains.

The Thermal Management and Systems Team is multi-disciplinary, bringing together system level thinkers, component and technology subject matter experts, and specialists in project execution and testing to demonstrate innovative power and thermal management systems tailored for our customers' needs.

Essential Responsibilities

In this role, you will be responsible for one or more of the following:

• Collaborate with component and system owners to understand and define test objectives, develop test system requirements, and project schedules.
• Apply your knowledge of engineering principals to:
  
  • Develop test concepts to that integrate fluid, thermal, electrical, and mechanical systems.
  • Design test hardware to meet test objectives.
  • Construct, commission, and operate integrated test systems to measure the performance of standalone components or system concepts.
• Lead test teams of engineers, test engineers, and technicians through the development of complex test enabling systems. This includes:
  
  • Development of operating scenarios (CONOPS), test procedures, and project plans
  • Assessment of technical, operating, safety, and programmatic risks
  • Management of change process for your test systems.
  • Interfacing with facility operations and outside vendors.
  • Interfacing with multiple technical teams across the site
• Demonstrate an unwavering commitment to safety in all aspects of test system design, fabrication, commissioning, and operation.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a STEM related discipline with 6 years of research and development experience, OR Associate's Degree in a STEM related discipline with a minimum of 10 years of research and development experience.
• Experience designing, fabricating, and operating test hardware and/or complex test systems.
• Experience translating general project objectives and guidance into specific work packages.
• Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to interface with researchers, customers, and vendors with clarity and confidence.
• Due to the nature of the duties of this position, this role requires the individual to have the ability to obtain and maintain US Government Security Clearance; prerequisite for a security clearance is U.S. citizenship.
• Must be willing to work out of an office located in Niskayuna, NY.
• You must submit your application for employment on the careers page at careers.geaerospace.com to be considered.

Desired Characteristics

• 6+ years of work experience with fluid, thermal, and/or mechanical systems in an industrial, research and development, or laboratory setting.
• Fundamental knowledge of a thermal management related discipline such as heat transfer, fluid mechanics, mechanical design, electrical systems, controls, or systems engineering
• Experience developing custom test hardware and/or test enabling fluid-thermal systems.
  
  • Experience designing, fabricating, and operating test enabling hardware to meet component and system performance objectives.
  • Experience designing fluid-thermal systems including piping, valves, pumps, compressors, heat exchangers, electric or fired heaters, cooling systems.
  • Ability to read, create, and redline common documentation such as P&IDs, PFDs, Piping Layouts, Construction Drawings, and/or Wiring and Electrical Schematics.
• Practical experience with data acquisition, instrumentation, process controls, and experimental methods.
  
  • Experience installing, calibrating, and troubleshooting common instrumentation for mechanical, fluid, and electrical systems such as thermocouples, RTDs, flow meters, pressure transducers, accelerometers, proximity probes, and other specialized instrumentation.
  • Experience developing custom data acquisition software solutions using NI LabVIEW, DEWESoft, Cyres, and/or process PLCs.
  • Experience developing custom data acquisition hardware solutions to interface with vendor hardware and software using common protocols.
  • Experience with data reduction and visualization using commercial packages or custom scripts in MATLAB, Python, Fortran, C++, etc.
• Experience managing task and/or project execution.
  
  • Manage the daily project workflow and interactions between test engineering, facilities, vendors, and technical subject matter experts.
  • Develop, maintain, and execute to a project schedule.
  • Estimate project budgets and track spending through project execution.

The base pay range for this position is $80,00 - $150,000 USD Annually. The specific pay offered may be influenced by a variety of factors, including the candidate's experience, education, and skill set. This position is also eligible for an annual discretionary bonus based on a percentage of your base salary based on the plan. This posting is expected to close on November 30th, 2025.

Healthcare benefits include medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage; access to a Health Coach, a 24/7 nurse-based resource; and access to the Employee Assistance Program, providing 24/7 confidential assessment, counseling and referral services. Retirement benefits include the GE Retirement Savings Plan, a tax-advantaged 401(k) savings opportunity with company matching contributions and company retirement contributions, as well as access to Fidelity resources and planning consultants.

Other benefits include tuition assistance, adoption assistance, paid parental leave, disability insurance, life insurance, and paid time-off for vacation or illness. General Electric Company, Ropcor, Inc., their successors, and in some cases their affiliates, each sponsor certain employee benefit plans or programs (i.e., is a "Sponsor"). Each Sponsor reserves the right to terminate, amend, suspend, replace, or modify its benefit plans and programs at any time and for any reason, in its sole discretion. No individual has a vested right to any benefit under a Sponsor's welfare benefit plan or program. This document does not create a contract of employment with any individual.

This role requires access to U.S. export-controlled information. Therefore, for applicants who are not U.S. lawful permanent residents, U.S. Citizens, or have been granted asylee or refugee status (i.e., not a protected individual under the Immigration and Naturalization Act, 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), otherwise known as a U.S. Person), employment will be contingent on the ability to obtain authorization for access to U.S. export-controlled information from the U.S. Government.

Additional Information

GE Aerospace offers a great work environment, professional development, challenging careers, and competitive compensation. GE Aerospace is an Equal Opportunity Employer . Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

GE Aerospace will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the United States for this opening. Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a drug screen (as applicable).

Relocation Assistance Provided: Yes