Maritime QA Engineer for Autonomous Vessel Systems

Stark Defence; Swindon; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

STARK Defence UK is seeking a highly skilled QA Engineer to take ownership of system‑level and integration testing for our maritime autonomy platforms and prototype boats. You will bridge software quality assurance and hardware/software integration, working hands‑on with hardware, software, and communication interfaces—both in the laboratory and on prototype vessels.

The role requires 3+ years in hardware testing or embedded QA, strong Linux and scripting skills (Bash/Python), and experience

Qualifications

• 3+ years of hardware testing or embedded systems QA experience.
• Strong QA theory knowledge with hands-on hardware troubleshooting.
• Experience with embedded communication protocols (MAVLink, CAN, RS485).
• Solid Linux knowledge and ability to write test scripts in Bash and Python.
• Familiarity with Jira and Confluence; Git for version control.
• Ability to write clear test documentation in English.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain test plans, scripts, integration procedures, and safety checklists for embedded marine solutions.
• Perform hardware/software diagnostics, defect localization, and root‑cause analysis on prototype boats.
• Validate software-hardware integration with marine autopilots, thrusters, and payloads.
• Test and verify communication interfaces and protocols (MAVLink, RS485, TCP/IP, RTSP).
• Verify safety mechanisms including remote shutdowns and geofencing.
• Support SITL and HITL test environments; assist in test setup and maintenance.
• Collaborate with software, systems, and field teams to log and resolve defects in a timely manner.
• Prepare testing reports and product stability/reliability reviews in Jira and Confluence.

Skills

Hardware testing

HIL testing

Embedded systems QA

Linux

Python

Bash

Test scripts

Jira

Confluence

Git

Multimeters

Tools

MAVLink

CAN

RS485

TCP/IP

RTSP

Git

Jira

Confluence

Job description

STARK Defence UK is seeking a highly skilled QA Engineer to take ownership of system‑level and integration testing for our maritime autonomy platforms and prototype boats. You will bridge software quality assurance and hardware/software integration, working hands‑on with hardware, software, and communication interfaces—both in the laboratory and on prototype vessels.

The role requires 3+ years in hardware testing or embedded QA, strong Linux and scripting skills (Bash/Python), and experience