Senior System Test Technician (Heat-to-Power)

Antora Energy delivers affordable, reliable energy to industry, data centers, and the grid. Our thermal batteries turn low-cost electricity into always-on heat and power, without supply-constrained critical minerals or multi-year construction timelines. We are growing our company with people who put team and mission first, value connection through laughter and joy, and work with humility and openness. We are committed to building a diverse, passionate, and creative team dedicated to a future powered by abundant, clean, low-cost energy. Position Summary Operate and maintain Heat-to-Power's high-temperature test platforms at Antora's R&D facility. The primary function of this role is test technician: hands-on setup, maintenance, and instrumentation of electrical discharge prototypes that generate the data driving Heat-to-Power development. A secondary function is test operator, running and monitoring campaigns (including unattended and overnight runs within defined limits), with an engineer on call for decisions outside those limits. Roles & Responsibilities After training, independently set up, operate, monitor, shut down, and disassemble high-temperature test campaigns, including unattended and overnight operation within defined limits. Maintain and prepare the test rigs: mechanical assembly and disassembly, instrumentation (thermocouples, RTDs, pyrometers), gas and cooling systems, and DAQ and controls hardware. Keep tools test-ready and track maintenance. Track and manage consumables, spare parts, and instrumentation inventory; flag reorder needs proactively and maintain accurate records to avoid test delays. Collect, validate, and deliver post-test datasets used in design iteration, performance evaluation, and reliability analysis. Troubleshoot issues across sensors, thermal systems, mechanical assemblies, controls, and data acquisition. Know when to handle it and when to escalate to the on-call engineer. Recognize off-nominal or non-physical behavior during operation and respond within defined safety and operating limits. Produce and update test procedures, run logs, safety documentation, and post-test summaries. Communicate clearly through documentation, plots, and technical discussion with engineers across disciplines. Operate complex experimental systems safely and with discipline, given elevated temperatures and electrical power. Support implementation of hardware, instrumentation, or procedural improvements that increases test reliability, repeatability, or usability. Key Qualifications 5+ years of hands-on experience operating and maintaining experimental or production hardware, test rigs, or complex equipment (research, industrial, military, or similar). Associate's or Bachelor's degree in an engineering or technical field, or equivalent hands-on experience. Thermal, mechanical, electrical, or related engineering or technical background sufficient to make operating judgment calls. Strong hands-on skills with fixtures, sensors, and test equipment; demonstrated attention to data quality, repeatability, and rigor. Proven ability to troubleshoot mechanical, thermal, electrical, or instrumentation issues independently. Strong safety awareness around physical systems, electricity, and elevated temperatures. Clear written and verbal communication; experience documenting procedures and results. Ability to work onsite and independently manage test tasks with guidance from senior engineers. Comfortable using AI tools to accelerate documentation, data analysis, troubleshooting, and procedure writing; able to critically evaluate AI-generated output. Additional Qualifications Desired Experience with high-temperature systems, thermal testing, furnaces, heaters, or vacuum environments. Familiarity with data acquisition systems (Python-based DAQ, PLCs, or similar) and controls or automation scripting. Experience with instrumentation such as thermocouples, pyrometers, RTDs, pressure sensors, current/voltage measurement, or optical…