Senior Software Test Engineer (R3191)
Shield AI
Quality Assurance
San Diego, CA, USA · San Diego, CA, USA · Oregon, USA
Posted on Feb 12, 2025
About Shield AI
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company focused on protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its flagship autonomy software, Hivemind, powers aircraft, drones, and other platforms, enabling complex missions with high reliability in contested environments. With offices in San Diego, Dallas, Washington, D.C., and internationally, Shield AI’s products actively support U.S. and allied operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn,Twitter, and Instagram.
Job Description:
Are you a passionate and innovative engineer looking to help develop state-of-the-art AI and robotics products? Are you eager to make a positive difference in the world? Do you want to work alongside mission-driven and values-focused teammates? Shield AI is just the place for you!
The Hivemind Test team is committed to building a complete and robust test infrastructure that supports the development and integration of the world’s best AI pilot. Hivemind Test is dedicated to ensuring the highest level of quality, reliability, and performance in our Hivemind ecosystem. This ecosystem includes software systems for autonomy behaviors, ground-control systems, multi-network communications, operating systems, embedded devices, test frameworks, and more. Our group is charged with validating and verifying that the entire Hivemind software ecosystem is operationally ready to meet mission objectives and reliability standards. This is achieved via a cross-functional team, with skills ranging from autonomy system engineering, robotics integration, software development, test engineering, and quality assurance.
We are seeking an expert Software Test and Integration Engineer who is motivated to join us in our mission. Someone with experience designing and implementing innovative software solutions for automation testing and data analysis, who can become a Super User of our Hivemind product and extend test plans beyond expected uses to anticipate novel customer use cases and edge-case instances. You will play a critical role in the organization, collaborating with developers to identify and root cause bugs, integrate newly developed capabilities into the product framework, and define the best approaches to software API and autonomy test coverage.
What you'll do:
- Become a super-user of our state-of-the-art AI software product. Learn to automate multi-agent scenarios, analyze robotic data, and validate test cases. Try using the product as a customer would and try and break it!
- Test new features: Collaborate cross-functionally with developer teams to design test plans for new single and multi-robot autonomy algorithms, user interfaces, middleware, and server applications.
- Enable coverage testing of product capabilities: Design and implement tests to cover all performance aspects of a product capability across all permutations of operating environments and use cases.
- Design automation tooling & automate tests: Architect innovative automation frameworks that enhance testing efficiency and effectiveness. Automate tests to run on Software-in-the-Loop, Hardware-in-the-Loop, and Vehicle-in-the-Loop test fixtures.
- Integrate new capabilities: Work with other integration engineers to implement test solutions on prototype robotic hardware platforms.
- Optimize test efficiency: Determine the testing strategy (what tests, at what frequencies, etc.) for the overall product and work with DevOps/Ex teams to optimize testing design on CI.
- Evaluate test data and automate reporting: Create analyzer code for the automated analysis of test data. Review test data, identify and root cause bugs, report to developers, and create automated reporting tools for test performance and bug attributes.
- Check off requirements, help determine metrics: Work with product and system engineers to ensure test coverage of all product and engineering requirements. Assist in developing tooling to demonstrate full requirement coverage and reporting.
- Other duties as assigned.
Required qualifications:
- Typically requires a minimum of 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 4 years and a Master’s degree; or 2 years with a PhD; or equivalent work experience.
- Proficiency in programming languages including Python or C++.
- Experience with autonomous systems or server applications or middleware.
- Demonstrated experience of designing, communicating, and managing test cases, and reporting bugs.
- Proficiency with simulation tools and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing environments.
- Strong expertise with CI/CD pipelines.
- Strong problem-solving skills and a proven track record of delivering high-quality software solutions.
- Excellent communication skills, capable of collaborating effectively across various teams and presenting to customers or technical leadership.
Preferred qualificaitons:
- Demonstrated experience building complex systems with a strong understanding of software architecture and design principles.
- Experience with hardware or embedded systems.
- Expert knowledge of Python.
- Experience with ROS.
- Experience with white box testing
- Familiarity with networking, operating-systems, and radio communications.
- Experience designing automated tooling for testing for GUI applications.
- Experience designing automated tooling for testing server applications.
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Total package details for U.S. based positions:
- Regular employee positions: Salary within range listed above + Bonus + Benefits + Equity
- Temporary employee positions: Hourly within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days
of employment)
- Interns/Military Fellows/Part-time not eligible for bonus, benefits or equity
Total package details for International positions which are roles based outside of the United States (where applicable):
- International premium, hardship differential, cost of living differential, living quarters allowance, foreign service transfer
allowance, equity, international benefits, visa assistance, and relocation assistance.
Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check.
Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.