Safety and Abuse Test Engineer

About Base

Base is America’s next-generation power company. We’re rebuilding the foundation of modern civilization–electricity–by deploying a vast network of distributed batteries that is transforming today’s fragile, centralized grid into a resilient and abundant system. We are engineers, operators, and creatives solving some of the most complex, interdisciplinary challenges of our time.

About the Role

We are seeking to grow the safety and abuse team at Base with the addition of a test engineer who will focus on testing our in-house designs up to and past their limits, ensuring the safety of our members and employees is maintained at all times in the product lifecycle.

As a member of the safety and abuse team under hardware at Base, you will review new and existing designs, identify issues requiring test coverage, plan, design, and execute said tests, communicating those results effectively to key stakeholders. Some tests are required by governing bodies which we run in-house or at external labs to achieve product compliance. You will also work on increasing test throughput, quality, and generally optimize the spaces we use to run these tests. You will work closely with other test engineers, technicians, and designers.

Much of the work will be done at a satellite test laboratory designed, built, and operated by Base, less than an hour’s drive from HQ in Austin Texas (transportation provided). This lab is a primarily outdoor space and applicants can expect to be working hands on. The majority of your time will be spent at this satellite lab during sprints, with time spent in the office as well.

What You’ll Do

• Evaluate systems for safety using DFMEA and similar tools
• Design test setups and execute safety and abuse testing, including but not limited to:
• Thermal runaway testing of batteries
• Short circuit testing of batteries and inverters
• Switch interruption testing (at full voltage)
• Own the safety of safety/abuse test setups
• Find and manage space to execute safety and abuse testing
• Set up data acquisition for all safety/abuse tests, including: thermocouples, voltage or current measurement, accelerometer measurement, etc
• Write world class test reports

What You'll Bring

• 3 years of designing and running tests on electrical equipment
• Experience with working around lithium ion batteries / high voltage / DAQ systems
• Hands on experience with battery thermal runaway is a plus
• UL 9540 / UL 1973 exposure a plus

Please note: Base is a startup, which means priorities shift and evolve quickly. Your role may expand or change based on the needs of the business at any given time, so the responsibilities listed may not be exhaustive.

Our Values

• First Principles Thinking: Question assumptions. Principles > rules.
• Operate at Base Pace: Focus on what matters, act quickly, and learn by doing.
• Give & Get Feedback: Be direct, be humble, and maintain a growth mindset.
• Everyone’s an Owner: Follow through on commitments and own results.
• Strong Opinions, Loosely Held: Drive clarity and make calls with imperfect information.
• Committed to the Mission: Rebuilding the grid is a big challenge. We work hard because we care deeply about the impact we’re creating. We work in-person. It’s not a 9-to-5. We are all-in.
• Fun & Optimism Coexist with Grit: Collaboration and celebration coincide with the intensity of building real things.