Hire Integration and Test Engineers

Time to shortlist is typically 2 weeks from scoping call. Total time to placement (shortlist through offer acceptance) is typically 3–4 weeks. Sitting I&T engineers rarely leave mid-campaign — we manage notice periods around test windows as part of the search. If you have a chamber slot or a customer pre-ship review on the calendar, tell us on the call and we prioritize candidates who can start inside the window.

Most US Integration and Test Engineers with two to six years on flight or defense hardware land between $95K and $135K base depending on metro and program. Senior and lead I&T engineers who own a full campaign, run the TRR and carry anomaly boards typically run $135K–$175K base plus bonus or equity at venture-backed space and defense-tech companies. These are market bands; we confirm live market bands for your program during scoping. See our test engineer salary guide for adjacent bands.

A Test Engineer owns the test itself — fixture, procedure, data, pass/fail. An Integration and Test Engineer owns the article across the whole flow: mechanical and electrical integration, harness and GSE, the environmental sequence, the ATP, and the anomaly trail between them. If the hire has to take a flight article from a kit of subassemblies to a shipped unit, hire the I&T profile. Most programs need both once they move past the first article.

A Production Test Engineer runs rate acceptance testing on the line — automated test equipment, cycle time, first-pass yield. A Propulsion Test Engineer owns hot fire and cold flow on a test stand. An Integration and Test Engineer sits at the article level and pulls those results into a delivered unit. Launch vehicle programs usually run all three; a satellite program often merges I&T and test in one seat until rate production.

No. Most candidates hold a BS in aerospace, mechanical or electrical engineering, and LabVIEW or IPC credentials are useful signals we verify when claimed, but reference-verified campaign ownership outweighs certificates. Where the seat runs hazardous operations — pressurized systems, propellants, lifts over flight hardware — we do weight documented safety qualifications heavily.

Yes. We screen for US-person status where the program requires it, document any active clearance held, and verify prior work under ITAR, CUI and DCMA oversight. We do not shortlist candidates who cannot meet the access requirements on your call.

Yes. Every Integration and Test Engineer placement carries a replacement guarantee. Guarantee terms are confirmed in writing at engagement start. The guarantee applies across direct-hire, embedded and RPO engagements alike.

Yes. Multi-hire builds (I&T lead plus Test Engineers, Production Test Engineers, Propulsion Test Engineers and technicians across shifts) route through embedded recruiting or RPO. Directors of test and mission assurance route through executive search.