
Test Operations Engineer at Allen Control Systems (Austin, TX)
Allen Control Systems· Austin, TX·
Role details
Competitive Salary · ACS Equity Package · Health Insurance · Dental Insurance · Vision Insurance · Paid Time Off
Allen Control Systems at a glance
Defense-tech startup building Bullfrog, an autonomous robotic weapon station that uses AI and computer vision to shoot down drones at a fraction of the cost of missiles.
ACS builds Bullfrog, an autonomous weapon station that mounts a common service machine gun and adds passive optical sensing, machine-vision tracking, and AI fire control to detect and neutralize hostile drones. A human authorizes every shot. The pitch is battlefield economics: driving the cost-per-kill of a drone down to as low as ten dollars.
$242M raised · latest: Series B · $200M · 2026 · backed by Smash Capital, Craft Ventures, Rally Ventures, Inspired Capital
Summary
The Test Operations Engineer executes live field test events and serves as the technical link between the system and engineering. Responsibilities include troubleshooting hardware and software issues, collecting test data, and translating engineering objectives into executable field tests.
Job description
Company Overview ACS (Allen Control Systems) is a defense technology company building precision robotic systems for the United States and its allies. Founded by two former U.S. Navy electrical engineers with deep experience in robotics and software, ACS brings together AI, computer vision, precision motion, and advanced hardware to solve complex defense challenges across land, air, and maritime environments. Our flagship product, Bullfrog, is an autonomous precision weapon system that transforms existing weapons into highly accurate counter-drone systems — giving warfighters a scalable, cost-effective response to one of the fastest-growing threats on the modern battlefield. Bullfrog is deployed with U.S. forces, and ACS works with organizations throughout the U.S. military and national security community. Following a $200 million Series B at a $2.2 billion valuation, ACS is rapidly expanding manufacturing, accelerating Bullfrog deployments, and developing the next generation of autonomous battlefield systems. This is an opportunity to join a proven, fast-moving team and help scale technology with direct, real-world impact on national security. ACS is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with additional operations in Alexandria, Virginia; Mountain View, California; and Huntsville, Alabama. For more information, visit allencontrolsystems.com.
Position Overview We are seeking a Test Operations Engineer to execute live field test events and serve as the technical link between the ACS system and the engineering team. You will be on the ground running tests, capturing data, troubleshooting issues across hardware and software, and feeding actionable findings back to engineering. We are building a team with complementary strengths, and welcome candidates who lean toward hardware/electrical, software/integration, or instrumentation and data collection.
What You’ll Do
- Execute live test events and support end-to-end field test operations, including system setup, checkout, validation, and post-test teardown.
- Troubleshoot hardware, software, electrical, mechanical, and integration issues in the field; diagnose problems across system boundaries and communicate findings clearly to engineering.
- Collect, organize, and report test data, observations, anomalies, and recommendations; assist with instrumentation, logs, video capture, and other methods of documenting system performance.
- Help translate engineering objectives into executable field tests with clear pass/fail criteria; build and refine repeatable test processes, checklists, and readiness procedures.
- Support rehearsals, demonstrations, validations, and other high-visibility test events; work cross-functionally with engineering, operations, and program teams to rapidly identify issues and drive corrective action.
- Operate effectively in dynamic field environments where schedules and priorities can shift quickly; work independently with limited guidance and maintain a strong safety culture at all times.
What You’ll Need
- Engineering degree or 5+ years of relevant hands-on experience in robotics, electromechanical systems, systems integration, test engineering, or a comparable technical field.
- Strong troubleshooting ability across hardware and software; comfortable working around sensors, actuators, control systems, power systems, and networked equipment.
- Programming familiarity is required; enough to understand interfaces, automation, telemetry, logging, and debugging in a practical engineering environment. Linux experience is a plus, particularly for candidates with a software/integration focus.
- Experience collecting, organizing, and reporting technical test data; mechanically inclined and comfortable with tools, system setup, teardown, and reconfiguration in the field.
- Strong written and verbal communication; able to provide clear, useful feedback to engineers and leadership and comfortable operating in outdoor/range environments under strict safety procedures.
What We Offer
- Competitive salary
- ACS Equity Package
- Health, Dental, Vision Insurance
- Paid Time Off
Allen Control Systems is an Equal Opportunity Employer, providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. Allen Control Systems prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
Why work at Allen Control Systems
- Mission: Directly contribute to protecting soldiers and changing the economics of drone warfare.
- Culture: Described as a remote-friendly organization with a strong engineering focus; HQ in Austin with a satellite office in Alexandria.
- Work Model: Remote core, but many roles require on-site presence in Austin for manufacturing and testing.
- Growth: Hyper-growth stage – employees have significant ownership and impact.
- Tech Stack: State-of-the-art tools: PyTorch, CUDA, Unreal Engine, ROS, Linux, Docker, Git, MLflow, and more.
- Team: High density of talent from SpaceX, Firefly, DoorDash, Lockheed Martin, and Carnegie Mellon.
- Perks: Not publicly detailed; typical for defense startups include competitive compensation, equity, and a chance to work on cutting-edge hardware-software integration.