Test Engineer

Havoc is a leader in all-domain collaborative autonomy. Its software-defined hardware approach powers military and commercial-grade autonomous systems across sea, air, and land to sense, decide, and act together in complex and contested environments. Havoc connects assets, enabling them to share information, adapt in real time, and continue operating even when communications are disrupted or denied. Havoc optimizes mission performance and minimizes human risk. Havoc was founded in 2024 and headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island. Learn more at Havoc: All-Domain Collaborative Autonomy .

HavocAI is seeking a Test Engineer to support the development, integration, and validation of our Autonomous Surface Vessel (ASV) platforms and autonomy systems. This is a highly hands-on role for an engineer who thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and enjoys working at the intersection of hardware, software, autonomy, and field operations. You will work directly with engineering and mission operations teams to plan, execute, and analyze testing across mechanical systems, electrical systems, autonomy capabilities, sensors, communications, and embedded software. Testing at HavocAI extends well beyond the lab. You’ll help take systems from initial integration through dockside testing, sea trials, and real-world deployments—identifying issues, troubleshooting failures, validating performance, and providing actionable feedback to engineering teams. Success in this role requires strong technical judgment, a hands-on mindset, attention to detail, and the ability to move quickly as systems, priorities, and test requirements evolve.

Test Planning & Execution Develop, document, and execute test plans and procedures for mechanical, electrical, software, and integrated systems across multiple ASV platforms. Define test objectives, success criteria, configurations, and data requirements in partnership with engineering teams. Support testing throughout the development lifecycle, from component and subsystem validation through full-system and operational testing. Identify test gaps and develop new approaches to improve system validation and overall test coverage. Autonomy & Systems Validation Test and evaluate autonomy algorithms, control systems, sensors, and integrated vehicle behaviors in real-world maritime environments. Validate system performance across navigation, communications, propulsion, perception, and other onboard systems. Partner with autonomy, hardware, software, and networking teams to integrate and validate new capabilities, payloads, and system updates. Verify that integrated systems perform safely, reliably, and consistently under expected operating conditions. Troubleshooting & Root Cause Analysis Diagnose issues across hardware, software, networking, communications, and mechanical system interfaces. Work directly with engineering teams to reproduce failures, isolate root causes, and validate corrective actions. Troubleshoot issues in real time during test events and field operations where timelines and conditions can change quickly. Document failures, findings, corrective actions, and recommendations to improve future system performance. Data Collection & Analysis Capture and analyze telemetry, sensor, system, and mission data to evaluate vehicle performance. Translate test data into clear conclusions and actionable feedback for engineering teams. Develop test reports that clearly communicate results, failures, risks, and recommended next steps. Support continuous improvement by identifying trends and recurring issues across test events. Field Testing & Operations Deploy to coastal, offshore, and other maritime environments to support ASV testing, demonstrations, and field operations. Operate and support ASVs during dockside testing, sea trials, and open-water test events. Prepare vehicles, test equipment, sensors, tools, and supporting systems for field operations. Maintain