Lead Software Test & QA Engineer - Autonomy & Vision

Shield AI; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a Lead Engineer, Software Test & Quality Assurance in Melbourne to drive the Australian software test strategy, lead a cross-functional team, and own release evidence for Hivemind Vision and Hivemind Solutions. You will design automation frameworks, ensure robust test coverage, and coordinate with global QA teams and flight-test partners.

The role demands hands-on leadership, deep automated testing expertise, and the ability to deliver verifiable test results across SIL,

Qualifications

• Bachelor-level degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Aerospace, Electrical, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
• 8+ years developing software test, verification, automation, validation, or quality assurance solutions for robotics, autonomy, aerospace, embedded, or complex distributed systems.
• 2+ years leading engineers, either as a people manager or technical lead with planning/mentoring responsibilities.
• Experience implementing test strategy across multiple products or programs and owning software release or acceptance recommendations.
• Strong proficiency in Python for automation, testing, and data analysis, and experience architecting automated test frameworks or validation infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Software Test & Automation Engineers and QA Engineers, including hiring, onboarding, goal setting, performance feedback, and career development.
• Plan and prioritise test work across Hivemind Vision and Hivemind Solutions programs, balancing schedules and allocating people.
• Identify risks, delays, and resourcing constraints early and communicate them clearly to leadership and stakeholders.
• Build a team culture of technical rigour, ownership, continuous improvement, and psychological safety.
• Own the software release process, including release readiness criteria, test evidence, and go/no-go recommendations.
• Coordinate with Systems Engineering to maintain traceability from requirements to verification results.
• Prepare test readiness and verification evidence for reviews and customer acceptance.
• Develop software quality metrics, dashboards, and readiness assessments for leadership.

Skills

Python automation

Test automation

Leadership

CI/CD pipelines

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related

Equivalent overseas qualification

Tools

Jira

DOORS

Polarion

Cameo

Job description

Shield AI is seeking a Lead Engineer, Software Test & Quality Assurance in Melbourne to drive the Australian software test strategy, lead a cross-functional team, and own release evidence for Hivemind Vision and Hivemind Solutions. You will design automation frameworks, ensure robust test coverage, and coordinate with global QA teams and flight-test partners.

The role demands hands-on leadership, deep automated testing expertise, and the ability to deliver verifiable test results across SIL,