Manufacturing Test Engineer
Gridware
Company Overview
What They Do
Gridware is a pioneering startup focused on enhancing grid resilience through innovative technology. Their core offering, Active Grid Response (AGR), utilizes pole-mounted Gridscope sensors that monitor various conditions on distribution power lines in real-time. These sensors are powered by solar energy and communicate through device-to-device, cellular, and satellite networks, ensuring continuous operation regardless of grid voltage (source: gridware.io). The technology is designed to detect a range of issues, including vegetation contact, downed lines, and equipment failures, enabling utilities to perform predictive maintenance and dynamic de-energization to prevent wildfires and outages (source: cbsnews.com). Target markets include U.S. electric utilities, particularly in wildfire-prone areas like California and the Midwest, with plans for international expansion in the future (source: promptloop.com). Their products integrate seamlessly with utility operations management systems, covering over 90 million field hours and serving 40% of U.S. customers through partnerships (source: gridware.io).
Projects & Track Record
Gridware has successfully deployed approximately 13,000 sensors across eight states, particularly in California's high-risk wildfire areas, covering around 1,000 miles of power lines. Their technology has been credited with preventing wildfires, as evidenced by reports of alerts that stopped smoldering vegetation from igniting (source: cbsnews.com). Notable integrations include partnerships with PG&E for high impedance fault detection and a pilot project with Puget Sound Energy aimed at improving storm and wildfire repair prioritization. In one instance, a Northern California circuit experienced a 70% reduction in outage patrol times, while a Midwest utility saved 400,000 outage minutes across four circuits (source: gridware.io). Ongoing projects include a 2024 pilot with NorthWestern Energy in Montana City, focusing on real-time asset monitoring to mitigate wildfire risks (source: northwesternenergy.com).
Recent Developments
In the past two years, Gridware has raised significant funding to support its growth and expansion efforts. In 2024, they announced a $26.4 million Series A funding round led by Sequoia Capital, following a $10.5 million seed extension in 2023 co-led by Lowercarbon Capital and Fifty Years (source: gridware.io). This funding is aimed at enhancing their U.S. operations and preparing for international deployments. Additionally, Gridware has received recognition for its innovative technology, including being named one of Time magazine's Best Inventions in 2022 for their Gridscope sensors and having founders featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2023 (source: engineering.berkeley.edu). The company continues to deepen its partnerships with utilities, including a pilot program with NorthWestern Energy set for late 2024 (source: northwesternenergy.com).
Working There
Gridware offers a variety of engineering-focused roles, including positions in software engineering, electrical design engineering, data engineering, and technical recruiting. The company is built by linemen and engineers, reflecting a culture that emphasizes collaboration with field workers and a mission-driven approach to wildfire prevention (source: climatepeople.com). Hiring is concentrated at their Bay Area headquarters, where they are rapidly expanding their team to support sensor production and deployment efforts. The culture at Gridware is described as rigorous and mission-oriented, with a strong focus on achieving real-world results, such as the significant field hours logged by their technology (source: gridware.io). While specific employee benefits are not detailed in the sources, the venture-backed nature of the company suggests competitive startup perks may be available (source: cbsnews.com).
Last updated on Feb 23, 2026 | Report an issue
Job Description
Gridware is a San Francisco-based technology company dedicated to protecting and enhancing the electrical grid. We pioneered a groundbreaking new class of grid management called active grid response (AGR), focused on monitoring the electrical, physical, and environmental aspects of the grid that affect reliability and safety. Gridware's advanced Active Grid Response platform uses high-precision sensors to detect potential issues early, enabling proactive maintenance and fault mitigation. This comprehensive approach helps improve safety, reduce outages, and ensure the grid operates efficiently. The company is backed by climate-tech and Silicon Valley investors. For more information, please visit www.Gridware.io.
Responsibilities
- Implement and support automated and manual test systems for high-volume manufacturing environments.
- Provide day-to-day production test support to ensure stable, repeatable, and efficient operations.
- Own test system implementation, fixture development, and test readiness activities for assigned programs.
- Maintain and continuously improve test procedures, fixtures, and equipment.
- Ensure test systems comply with safety, quality, and regulatory standards.
Process Optimization & Data Systems
- Analyze production test data to identify trends, systemic issues, and improvement opportunities.
- Develop and implement incremental improvements to increase throughput, reduce cycle time, and improve yield.
- Own SPC dashboards, monitoring, and reporting for production test metrics.
- Validate data integrity and logging within manufacturing test databases.
- Support KPI and OKR reporting through structured data analysis and clear communication of results.
Troubleshooting & Failure Analysis
- Troubleshoot test failures and differentiate between product-related and test-system-related issues.
- Lead root cause investigations for recurring or high-impact production issues.
- Support hardware and firmware regression testing and assist in debugging failures during release cycles.
- Minimize production downtime through timely issue resolution and structured problem-solving.
Quality Assurance & Test Coverage
- Ensure test procedures align with product specifications and defined quality standards.
- Own test coverage documentation and maintain clear visibility into test gaps and limitations.
- Support audits and continuous improvement initiatives related to manufacturing test coverage.
- Contribute to Design for Testability (DFT) efforts in collaboration with hardware and firmware engineering teams.
Collaboration
- Partner closely with hardware, firmware, and systems engineering teams to support manufacturing readiness.
- Work with contract manufacturers and production teams to deploy, train, and sustain test systems.
- Coordinate with quality and operations teams to ensure alignment on yield, reliability, and performance goals.
- Provide clear technical communication across cross-functional teams.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
- 2-5 years of experience in manufacturing test engineering, preferably in electronics, networking, or related industries.
- At least 2 years of experience coding in a high-level language, ideally Python.
- Experience supporting or owning production test systems in a manufacturing environment.
- Proficiency with lab and production test equipment (oscilloscopes, multimeters, RF equipment, data acquisition systems, etc.).
- Experience with automated test software frameworks (Python-based systems, LabVIEW, MATLAB, or similar tools).
- Familiarity with statistical process control (SPC) and data-driven manufacturing methodologies.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration abilities.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced production environment.
Preferred Skills
- Experience with PCB, RF, or high-speed digital testing.
- Experience working with contract manufacturers.
- Familiarity with manufacturing databases and provisioning systems.
- Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing or continuous improvement methodologies.
$120,000 - $140,000 a year
At this time, Gridware is unable to provide visa sponsorship or immigration support for this role. We're only able to consider candidates who are currently authorized to work in the country of employment without visa sponsorship now or in the future.
This describes the ideal candidate; many of us have picked up this expertise along the way. Even if you meet only part of this list, we encourage you to apply!
Benefits
- Health, Dental & Vision (Gold and Platinum with some providers plans fully covered)
- Paid parental leave
- Alternating day off (every other Monday)
- "Off the Grid", a two week per year paid break for all employees.
- Commuter allowance
- Company-paid training
Apply now
Job expired?Please let Gridware know you found this job on Rejobs. This will help us grow and get more people to work on renewable energy!
Apply now
Job expired?Please let Gridware know you found this job on Rejobs. This will help us grow and get more people to work on renewable energy!
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About the role
April 5, 2026
Full time
Company
- San Francisco, California, United States
2-5 years
UTC-08:00