---
title: 'UAV Test Engineer (Systems/Mechatronics) at Seneca'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/uav-test-engineer-systems-mechatronics-seneca-sausalito-gnpa773d0e27'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-06'
---

# UAV Test Engineer (Systems/Mechatronics) at Seneca

- **Company:** Seneca
- **Location:** Sausalito, CA
- **Compensation:** $110k–$150k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2025-12-16
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-06
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/seneca/390e4625-bc4a-4ee3-bce5-cd96a1518bb5

## Job description

The Job:

Seneca is seeking a Test Engineer to build the technical foundation of our UAV test program. This is a individual contributor role focused on designing test plans, instrumenting vehicles, creating test infrastructure, and analyzing system-level performance across mechanical, electrical, and software domains.

You will operate as a multi-disciplinary systems test engineer—strong in mechatronics, comfortable debugging across domains, and able to turn ambiguous engineering questions into structured experiments. with enough breadth to collaborate with mechanical, electrical, and software specialists, while owning system-level test execution end to end. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in fast-moving hardware environments and enjoys working across the full stack of UAV systems.

What You'll Do:

- Develop and own system-level test plans for ground and flight testing, with clear objectives, sequences, and success criteria.
- Design and maintain test infrastructure and instrumentation, ensuring vehicles and test setups capture high-quality, actionable data.
- Provide technical oversight of test execution, validating readiness, guiding pilots and operators, and ensuring procedural rigor.
- Analyze telemetry, logs, and performance data to characterize system behavior, identify root causes, and inform engineering decisions.
- Drive continuous improvement of test methods, documentation, workflows, and tools.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with hardware and software teams to align test activities with development needs and translate findings into design actions.

What You Bring:

- 3–5 years experience in UAV, robotics, aerospace, or electromechanical systems testing.
- Strong mechatronics intuition: able to debug mechanical, electrical, and software-integration issues at a system level.
- Experience designing structured experiments and test plans.
- Hands-on experience instrumenting complex systems and validating data quality.
- Ability to define requirements and prototype fixtures.
- Competence analyzing logs, telemetry, and multi-domain performance data.
- Comfortable working in both lab and field environments, including variable outdoor conditions.
- Basic CAD proficiency.

Nice to have:

- Passion for UAVs and aviation
- Exposure to PX4/ArduPilot, ROS, or similar robotics frameworks.
- Familiarity with reliability, accelerated life, or environmental testing.
- FAA Part 107 certification or willingness to obtain one.

Beyond technical skills, we value:

- Ownership mentality — take projects from idea to execution
- Balance of velocity and quality — Ability to operate calmly in fast-paced, experimental environments while maintaining high engineering standards and disciplined test execution
- Efficiency & follow-through — keeps test program unblocked and organized
- Iterative problem solving — breakdown complex problems, prototype, and refine
- Kindness and humility — thrive in collaborative, mission-driven cross-functional teams that value open communication.

What We Offer:

- Competitive Salary – Reflective of your skills and experience
- Equity Compensation – Be a part-owner in the company's future
- Comprehensive Health Coverage – Including medical, dental, and vision plans
- Health Savings Account (HSA) – Optional pre-tax savings for medical expenses
- Unlimited PTO – Flexible time off to recharge, plus paid company holidays

## About Us

Seneca is building cutting-edge drone and sensor technology for wildfire suppression, aiming to eliminate wildfire risk across 500 million acres of high-risk U.S. + allied territory. Backed by top-tier investors, including Convective Capital, Caffeinated Capital, First Round Capital, Slow Ventures, Nextview Ventures, Transition Capital, Bullpen Capital, Stepstone Group, Roar Capital, Offline Ventures, and leaders from Palantir, Google, Meta, and many others, the company has raised $110M in Series A funding and is valued over $500 million. Founded by Stu Landesberg (former Founder & CEO of Grove Collaborative — IPO in 2022 at $1.7B) and fire industry experts, Seneca is a mission-driven company dedicated to climate resilience and fire prevention.

Don’t meet every single requirement? If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification, we encourage you to apply — you may still be the right fit for our team.

## About Seneca

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Seneca builds autonomous aerial systems that detect and suppress wildfires rapidly, using AI, drones, and robotics to protect communities and ecosystems.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series unknown; raised $60M in venture capital)
- **Headquarters**: Sausalito, California, USA
- **Founded**: Founded in 2022 (as a corporate entity; founding team has prior experience with billions in capital raised and two IPOs)
- **Founders**: Stuart Landesberg (CEO)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Fire Technology / Resilience Technology, Autonomous Systems, Climate Tech / Wildfire Defense
- **Target customers**: Fire departments (municipal, county, state), utilities (e.g., power companies), government agencies (federal, state, local), and allied nations. **B2B / Government / Public Sector**
- **Mission or purpose statement**: To protect 500 million acres in the U.S. and allied nations by 2035. (“Amor Fati” — love of fate — is a core philosophy, as is the belief that technology is how we create a more resilient civilization.)

## Products & Services
- **Autonomous Fire Suppression System**: A complete system of autonomous suppression drones, modular ground cases (for field deployment), and a software platform. Each quadcopter is hand-portable, battery-electric, carries >100 lbs of suppressant (water + Class-A foam concentrate), and pumps at >100 PSI. Drones use AI (computer vision, heat signature recognition) to navigate and knock down fires. The system is offered as a **System-as-a-Service (SaaS) annual subscription**, including hardware, software, maintenance, and support — not a hardware purchase.
- **Software / Control Dashboard**: An iOS and web-based interface that allows a single operator to supervise multiple drone swarms simultaneously, coordinate with manned aircraft (via ADS-B transponders), and manage missions from launch to automatic return/refill.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not disclosed (raised $60M in venture capital)
- **Key Metric**: **Total Funding: $60M** (the largest venture capital round in fire technology to date)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**:
    - **Lead Investors**: Caffeinated Capital, Convective Capital
    - **Participating Investors**: First Round Capital, Transition VC, Advance Venture Partners, Nextview Ventures, Bullpen Capital, Stepstone Group, DCVC, Offline Ventures, Roar Capital, Slow Ventures
    - **Key Partners / Advisory Board**: San Bernardino County Fire (Chief Dan Munsey), Aspen Fire Department (Chief Rick Balentine, 25-year Chief), Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell (former U.S. Fire Administrator), John Mills (Founder/CEO of Watch Duty)
- **Growth Signals**:
    - Secured a **five-year contract** with a public agency (details not fully public; announced in 2025).
    - Rollout to field during **2026 fire season**.
    - 34 employees and growing (as of mid-2025).
    - Strong partnership with major fire agencies across the American West.

## Competitive Advantages
- **First-mover in autonomous fire suppression**: The only company building an end-to-end, fully autonomous aerial suppression system from launch to knockdown.
- **Speed to initial attack**: Autonomous drones can suppress fires in **under 10 minutes** from dispatch, vs. 30+ minutes for manned aircraft. This is critical for preventing small ignitions from becoming megafires.
- **System-of-systems approach**: Drones coordinate among themselves, with manned aircraft, and with a central dashboard. Modular, case-based design for easy field deployment.
- **Deep public-sector partnerships**: Developed in collaboration with leading fire agencies, not in a vacuum. This gives them credibility, real-world testing, and a clear go-to-market path.
- **Business model**: Annual SaaS subscription provides predictable revenue and ensures customers always have the latest technology.

## Strategic Focus
- **Production scaling**: Use the $60M to improve capabilities, harden the overall system, and increase production.
- **Field deployment (2026)**: Roll out first systems to save lives during the 2026 fire season.
- **Mission expansion**: Grow from initial contracts in the American West to a national/allied-nation footprint, targeting 500 million acres protected by 2035.

## Why Work Here
- **High-impact mission**: Opportunity to work on a problem that affects 115 million+ Americans and costs $1T+ per year. The company’s stated goal is to “build technology to protect the things we love.”
- **Elite team**: Founding team has built multiple companies, raised billions, and taken two companies public. Backed by world-class investors.
- **Fast-paced, high-resource environment**: Designed for exceptional people — “No useless meetings, hierarchy, or office politics.” The team is resourced to move quickly.
- **Cross-disciplinary work**: Roles span deep learning (perception), controls, embedded software, iOS development, electrical engineering, UAV test engineering, hardware fabrication, and people operations.
- **Office culture**: Based in Sausalito, CA (near San Francisco). **In-office culture** with hybrid flexibility in certain cases. The team is expected to be physically present for hardware/software integration and team collaboration.
- **Recent job openings** (as of mid-2025): Senior Deep Learning Engineer, Senior Software Engineer (Controls), Software Engineer (Embedded & iOS), Electrical Engineer, UAV Test Engineer, Hardware Assembly & Fabrication Specialist, Recruitment + People Operations Specialist.

## Sources
1. [Seneca.com Careers](https://seneca.com/careers/)
2. [Seneca Jobs (Ashby)](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/seneca)
3. [PRNewswire - Seneca Launch / Funding](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/seneca-launches-with-60-million-to-equip-firefighters-utilities-and-communities-with-advanced-wildfire-defense-technology-302589441.html)
4. [Sacra - Seneca Company Profile](https://sacra.com/c/seneca/)
5. [Built In - Seneca Jobs](https://builtin.com/company/seneca-senecacom/jobs)

## Other roles at Seneca

- [Electrical Technician - Final Assembly & Test (UAV/Drone Systems)](https://feeny.ai/job/electrical-technician-final-assembly-test-uav-drone-systems-seneca-sausalito-7js32r7khy57) — Sausalito, CA
- [Launch Program Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/launch-program-manager-seneca-sausalito-2w7wp2zgf0jx) — Sausalito, CA
- [Manufacturing Operations Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/manufacturing-operations-lead-seneca-sausalito-gngjdq17pa4a) — Sausalito, CA
- [Hardware Leader](https://feeny.ai/job/hardware-leader-seneca-sausalito-jqgs22qbea1x) — Sausalito, CA
- [Software Leader](https://feeny.ai/job/software-leader-seneca-sausalito-q85e6k5w3zn8) — Sausalito, CA
- [Hardware Engineer General Interest](https://feeny.ai/job/hardware-engineer-general-interest-seneca-sausalito-a9fgpgjhptmq) — Sausalito, CA
- [UAS Flight Test Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/uas-flight-test-technician-seneca-sausalito-qydgya8r9gjq) — Sausalito, CA
- [Senior Software Engineer (Controls)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-controls-seneca-sausalito-bcbr0v1paqge) — Sausalito, CA