Senior Software Test Engineer – Robot Arm (human)

NEURA Robotics; Bielefeld; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

NEURA Robotics is seeking a Senior Test Engineer to own the quality and reliability of our robot arm software across the full stack, from operator workflows to application services and motion outcomes.

You will lead robot arm and system testing, drive automation framework development, and coordinate validation tasks across robotics, firmware, and software teams. Fluency in English is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechatronics, Robotics, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in test automation, system testing, validation, or verification of complex mechatronic or robotic systems; industrial automation experience preferred.
• Proven experience coordinating tasks, timelines, or small teams across cross-functional engineering groups.
• Strong understanding of robot arm fundamentals - kinematics, joint vs. Cartesian motion, reference frames, safety limits, and operator control software - plus broader mechatronic system integration (mechanical, electrical, control).
• Proficiency in Java; familiarity with Python or C++ is a plus.
• Hands-on experience with Maven, Selenium, Cucumber (BDD), API testing, and Git.
• Solid experience with CI/CD, test reporting, and agile, cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor others and drive process improvements.
• Fluency in English is required.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end testing of the robotic system - GUI, motion commands, PLC communication interfaces, and safety functions - and own test strategy across releases.
• Drive release and regression validation across versioned robot software, including localization and multi-environment testing, coordinating timelines and dependencies across teams.
• Act as the key point of contact between robotics, firmware, application, and functional safety engineers - coordinating validation tasks, aligning priorities, and resolving cross-team blockers.
• Apply mechatronics fundamentals to anticipate failure modes and design tests that catch real-world integration issues early.
• Coordinate test task planning and execution across multiple work streams, ensuring coverage, priority alignment, and on-time delivery.

Skills

Test automation

Cross-functional coordination

Mentoring

Agile methodologies

English fluency

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Mechatronics/Robotics/CS/ME/EE

Tools

Java

Python

C++

Maven

Selenium

Cucumber (BDD)

Git

Job description

Your mission & challenges

As a Senior Test Engineer, you will take ownership of the quality and reliability of our robot arm software - not just executing test strategy, but shaping it. You will coordinate testing efforts across teams, mentor junior engineers, and ensure our systems are safe, robust, and ready for real-world deployment across the full stack - from operator workflows to application services to motion outcomes.

Robot arm & system testing

• Lead end-to-end testing of the robotic system - GUI, motion commands, PLC communication interfaces, and safety functions - and take ownership of test strategy across releases.

• Drive release and regression validation across versioned robot software, including localization and multi-environment testing, coordinating timelines and dependencies across teams.

• Act as the key point of contact between robotics, firmware, application, and functional safety engineers - coordinating validation tasks, aligning priorities, and resolving cross-team blockers.

• Apply mechatronics fundamentals (mechanical, electrical, and control systems integration) to anticipate failure modes and design tests that catch real-world integration issues early.

• Coordinate test task planning and execution across multiple work streams, ensuring coverage, priority alignment, and on-time delivery.

Test automation & framework

• Own and evolve the test automation framework - Gherkin, Cucumber, Selenium, and Java - for GUI and API testing, setting standards for the wider team.

• Architect and maintain scalable automated regression, smoke, and release test suites integrated into CI/CD pipelines (e.g., GitLab), optimizing for speed and reliability.

• Establish best practices for reusable step definitions, page objects, test data management, and reporting; review and guide contributions from other engineers.

• Analyze test results to detect defects, regressions, localization issues, and performance bottlenecks; drive root-cause investigations on complex or recurring issues.

• Ensure traceability between requirements and test cases; oversee issue logging, tracking, and clear communication to stakeholders.

• Create and maintain test documentation, user guides, and onboarding materials for the test team.

• Proactively identify and lead initiatives to improve testing practices, coverage, and execution efficiency across the organization.

Leadership & coordination

• Coordinate task planning, prioritization, and cross-functional communication for test activities, acting as a bridge between engineering disciplines.

• Mentor junior and mid-level test engineers, reviewing their work and supporting their technical growth.

• Contribute to sprint planning, estimation, and retrospectives within agile, cross-functional teams.

What we can look forward to

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechatronics, Robotics, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.

• 5+ years of experience in test automation, system testing, validation, or verification of complex mechatronic or robotic systems; industrial automation experience preferred.

• Proven experience coordinating tasks, timelines, or small teams across cross-functional engineering groups.

• Strong understanding of robot arm fundamentals - kinematics, joint vs. Cartesian motion, reference frames, safety limits, and operator control software - plus broader mechatronic system integration (mechanical, electrical, control).

• Proficiency in Java; familiarity with Python or C++ is a plus.

• Hands-on experience with Maven, Selenium, Cucumber (BDD), API testing, and Git.

• Solid experience with CI/CD, test reporting, and agile, cross-functional teams.

• Demonstrated ability to mentor others and drive process improvements.

• Fluency in English is required.