Verification & Validation / Hardware-in-the-Loop Test Engineer

Obruta Space Solutions Corp.; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Health & Dental package

3 weeks paid annual leave

Job summary

Obruta Space Solutions Corp. is seeking a meticulous Verification & Validation / Hardware-in-the-Loop Test Engineer to lead formal test campaigns, automate simulation testing, and maintain verification frameworks in our Ottawa facility.

You will ensure that the RPOD Kit hardware and software meet mission-critical performance and safety specifications, architect automated test harnesses, and drive 24/7 HITL scenarios in a 6-DOF dual-arm lab. Strong coding and lab experience are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, mechatronics, CS, or related field.
• 4+ years of professional V&V, HITL testing, or automated test infrastructure in aerospace/robotics/defense.
• Strong Python and/or C++ for automated test scripts and data analysis.
• Experience with test design, requirements verification matrices, and formal engineering test reports.
• Experience with robotic testbeds, sensors, or embedded hardware in a lab environment.
• Eligible to work in Canada and able to obtain security assessment under the Controlled Goods Program.

Responsibilities

• Lead Verification & Validation planning, design verification matrices, and traceability.
• Design, automate, and run 24/7 HITL tests with the RPOD Kit hardware in a space-representative lab.
• Develop automated Monte Carlo simulation pipelines and analyze results (99.99% mission success or safe-fail rate).
• Prepare comprehensive verification reports, safety envelope mappings, and resource analyses for CSA milestones.
• Build automated regression test suites and telemetry verification scripts (Python, C++, shell).
• Lead root-cause investigations for anomalies and GNC issues observed during HITL and simulations.
• Mentor co-op students supporting Monte Carlo execution and lab data collection.

Skills

Python

C++

Test automation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace/Mechanical/Electrical/Mechatronics/CS

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

NASA Open MCT

Job description

Verification & Validation / Hardware-in-the-Loop Test Engineer

Location: Ottawa, Ontario (On-site at the Ottawa facility with periodic hybrid work options available)
Position Type: Full-Time
Compensation: Salary & Stock Options
Benefits: Comprehensive Health & Dental package, starting 3 weeks paid annual leave
Contact: If you have issues with your application, please email [e-mail]

About Obruta

Founded in 2019, Obruta Space Solutions is enabling the in-space economy by developing the advanced autonomy systems required for in-orbit satellite servicing, logistics, and active debris removal. Today’s satellites are single-use assets that cannot be refueled, inspected, or repaired. Obruta is eliminating this barrier with our flagship product: the RPOD Kit —a turnkey, vision-guided Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) subsystem that makes autonomous spacecraft docking commonplace.

Backed by leading venture capital and top-tier space innovation programs, Obruta is executing cutting-edge perception and navigation projects with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), National Research Council (NRC), and international commercial partners.

The Role

Obruta is seeking a detail-oriented and driven Verification & Validation (V&V) / Hardware-in-the-Loop (HITL) Test Engineer to lead our formal test campaigns, automated simulation testing, and laboratory verification frameworks.

In this role, you will be the quality and verification authority ensuring that the RPOD Kit hardware and software meet mission-critical performance, safety, and reliability specifications. You will architect automated test harnesses, lead large-scale Monte Carlo simulation campaigns (millions of runs) injecting off-nominal and "Grey Box" failures, and execute 24/7 physical HITL test scenarios within Obruta's 6-Degrees of Freedom (DOF) dual-arm robotics laboratory.

You will author the formal verification matrices, test procedures, and qualification reports that give satellite operators and commercial customers the data-backed confidence required to fly Obruta's autonomous systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Formal V&V Planning & Traceability: Author, maintain, and own the Verification & Validation Plan, Design Verification Matrix, and requirements traceability matrices linking system requirements to empirical test results.
• Hardware-in-the-Loop (HITL) Test Execution: Design, automate, and execute 24/7 physical HITL test campaigns using the RPOD Kit flight hardware in Obruta's dual-arm robotics laboratory under space-representative illumination and dynamic orbital trajectories.
• Monte Carlo & Automated Simulation Testing: Develop automated testing pipelines to execute millions of Monte Carlo failure-injection runs within Obruta's Polar simulation engine, statistically proving the 99.99% mission success or safe-fail rate of our GNC and Fault Detection, Isolation, and Recovery (FDIR) subsystems.
• Qualification & Verification Reporting: Compile comprehensive, data-driven test reports, safety envelope mappings, and CPU/memory overhead analyses for CSA milestone deliverables and commercial customer reviews.
• Test Harness & Tooling Development: Build automated regression test suites, data logging tools, and telemetry verification scripts (Python, C++, shell) interfacing with embedded hardware and ground systems.
• Failure Analysis & Anomaly Tracking: Lead root-cause investigations for unexpected anomalies, latency jitters, or GNC filter divergences observed during HITL and simulation campaigns.
• Student Mentorship: Supervise and mentor co-op engineering students supporting Monte Carlo execution, test automation scripting, and lab data collection.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Computer Science, or a related discipline.
• 4+ years of professional experience in Verification & Validation , hardware-in-the-loop testing, or automated test infrastructure in aerospace, robotics, automotive (ADAS), or defence.
• Strong programming skills in Python and/or C++ for writing automated test scripts, hardware test harnesses, and data analysis pipelines.
• Demonstrated experience with test design, requirements verification matrices, and authoring formal engineering test reports.
• Experience working with robotic testbeds, sensors (cameras, IMUs), or embedded hardware in a laboratory environment.
• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in Canada. Successful candidates must able to obtain and maintain a security assessment under the Controlled Goods Program.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Experience designing test campaigns for space systems adhering to standards such as NASA GEVS , ECSS-E-ST-10-02C , or ISO 26262.
• Familiarity with spacecraft Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC), Kalman filtering, or autonomous robotics dynamics.
• Hands‑on experience with simulation environments such as MATLAB/Simulink , Unreal Engine , or physics-based digital twins (SITL/HITL).
• Experience integrating test benches with telemetry systems (NASA Open MCT, COSMOS) or continuous integration (CI/CD) test pipelines.

Why Join Obruta?

• Direct Flight Impact: Your test campaigns and reports will directly validate the safety of autonomous docking systems flying on commercial and government space missions.
• World-Class Facility: Work directly with state-of-the-art dual-arm robotics testbeds and high-fidelity digital twin simulation engines.
• Help Built ourInterplanetary Future: Help lay the foundation for scalable, sustainable in-orbit servicing and autonomous space logistics.

Additional Position and Application Info

This posting is for an existing vacancy. Thank you to all who apply. Candidates who are successfully selected for an interview will be notified by email.

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, even if they don't check every single box. We recognize the impact of imposter syndrome and value practical capability, initiative, and drive.

If the posted salary range, work location, or anything else does not exactly align with your expectations, please let us know. We'd hate to miss out on the opportunity of working together without a discussion first.

Equity

We are an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals, including women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.

Accommodation

If you require accommodation during any stage of the recruitment process, please contact us at [e-mail] , and we will work with you to meet your needs.