Sr. Engineer I - Software Testing

1. Manual & Functional Testing

Own and execute end-to-end functional testing of all FW stack features.

Develop, review, and maintain detailed test cases and test plans.

Perform functional, regression, and integration testing in:

SITL (Software-in-the-Loop)

Flight Test (FT) environments

Conduct pre-flight and post-flight validation processes.

Log, track, and manage defects through structured defect triage.

2. Simulation Testing

Lead testing on the PTT (Unity Simulation) platform.

Create reusable simulation scenarios and validation environments.

Compare simulation outcomes with expected real-world flight behavior.

3. Automation & CI/CD Pipeline Development

Design, build, and maintain automated test pipelines for:

FT builds

SITL regression suites

Simulation validation flows

Write and maintain automation scripts using Python and Bash.

Integrate automated testing with CI/CD tools such as GitLab CI, Jenkins, etc.

Develop dashboards and reporting tools for automated test results.

4. Hardware Initialization & Bench Testing

Create and maintain pipelines for verifying build initialization on target hardware.

Perform and automate validation of:

Boot sequences

Sensor initialization

Hardware-software compatibility

Conduct bench tests for firmware validation before flight deployment.

5. Performance & Resource Utilization Analysis

Profile and analyze:

CPU & memory usage

Timing, latency, and cycle performance

System stability during SITL and hardware execution

Provide actionable optimization insights for engineering teams.

Technical Requirements,

1. Testing Frameworks

Strong expertise in GTest (C++ unit testing).

Strong expertise in Pytest (Python unit/system testing).

Experience developing automated test frameworks and regression suites.

2. Linux & Embedded Systems

Solid Linux knowledge (shell, permissions, processes, networking tools).

Hands-on experience with embedded platforms:

Raspberry Pi

NVIDIA Jetson

Other ARM-based boards

Ability to flash, debug, and validate builds on embedded hardware.

3. Networking & Distributed Systems

Deep understanding of networking protocols:

UDP, TCP, WebSockets

Ability to test communication latency, reliability, and packet flow.

Understanding of distributed data pipelines in robotics/avionics systems.

4. Version Control & DevOps

Strong proficiency with Git (branching strategies, code reviews).

Experience integrating tests into CI/CD environments.

Ability to build test automation into multi-stage pipelines.

Leadership Skills

1. Technical Leadership & Architecture

Own the technical direction for test architecture, automation frameworks, and validation tools.

Design and maintain a scalable automated testing ecosystem supporting multiple hardware targets.

Perform architecture reviews of system modules, focusing on testability, performance, and reliability.

Collaborate with system architects to ensure software designs enable robust test coverage.

2. Mentoring & Team Development

Mentor junior and mid-level engineers in:

Coding best practices

Automation strategies

Linux/embedded debugging

CI/CD usage and workflow discipline

Conduct technical training sessions on GTest, pytest, embedded testing, and networking analysis.

Provide code review leadership, ensuring high-quality and maintainable code.

3. Ownership of Embedded Test Infrastructure

Lead development of test environments for Raspberry Pi, Jetson, and ARM-based platforms.

Oversee creation and maintenance of:

Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) setups

Automated test rigs

Distributed test nodes for real-time data validation

Define and enforce processes around flashing, provisioning, and debugging embedded boards.

4. CI/CD Pipeline Leadership

Architect multi-stage pipelines for:

Unit tests

System tests

Hardware-based regression suites

Ensure consistent integration of automated tests into build pipelines across all branches.

Drive adoption of:

Code quality gates

Static/dynamic analysis

Automated reporting and dashboards

Collaborate with DevOps to reduce build/test cycle time and increase pipeline reliability.

5. Quality Governance & Release Readiness

Establish and maintain test policies, guidelines, and standards for the engineering organization.

Define Definition of Done (DoD) and Acceptance Criteria across different modules.

Ensure software meets reliability benchmarks (latency, packet robustness, CPU/GPU utilization).

Lead root cause analysis for critical failures in production or flight environments.

6. Cross-Team Collaboration

Work closely with:

Firmware team

Flight control team

Onboard software team

DevOps team

QA/Testing team

Serve as the bridge between development and testing, ensuring smooth handovers.

Represent the team in architecture meetings, sprint ceremonies, and technical strategy sessions.

7. Advanced Debugging & Issue Resolution

Lead debugging for complex issues involving:

Multi-threaded systems

Inter-process communication

Networking anomalies (UDP/TCP/WebSockets)

Real-time embedded behavior

Guide the team in using advanced tools:

perf, strace, gdb, valgrind

tcpdump, Wireshark

systemd logs, kernel logs

Drive systematic approaches to failure reproduction on embedded hardware.

8. Performance & Reliability Engineering

Define and execute performance test strategies:

Network throughput

Latency profiling

Resource monitoring (CPU, memory, I/O)

Optimize distributed data pipelines for heavy workloads (e.g., telemetry, camera feeds, sensor fusion).

Provide guidance on improving embedded system stability and resilience.

9. Process Leadership & Documentation

Ensure engineering processes are followed consistently (branching, reviews, documentation).

Maintain high-quality documentation for:

Test frameworks

Embedded debug procedures

CI/CD workflows

Release qualification steps

Contribute to long-term test strategy and roadmap planning.

10. Stakeholder Management

Collaborate with Product Owners and Project Managers on test timelines and risk assessment.

Communicate test coverage, progress status, and release risks to management and cross-functional teams.

Represent the testing/automation function during customer reviews or audits.