Director of Testing

Higher Ground LLC; Palo Alto (CA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Higher Ground LLC in Palo Alto seeks a Director of Testing to lead QA across hardware, firmware, software, and cloud interfaces. This full-time, hybrid role directs test strategy, planning, execution, and reporting to ensure reliable, high-quality releases.

You will mentor the QA team, develop test methodologies, coordinate cross-functional efforts with engineering and product, and drive continuous improvement in testing processes in challenging environments.

Qualifications

• Experience testing hardware products through full lifecycle.
• Proficiency in QA practices, test planning, case design, and both manual and automated testing.
• Strong analytical skills with data-driven problem solving.
• Proven project management and stakeholder communication.
• Team leadership and mentoring of QA staff.
• Experience training others on testing tools and processes.
• Background in telecommunications or embedded systems helpful.
• Familiarity with test automation frameworks and CI/CD.

Responsibilities

• Lead QA team and define testing methodologies.
• Coordinate cross-functional test efforts with engineering and product.
• Ensure hardware, firmware, and software releases meet quality standards.
• Analyze defect trends and optimize test coverage.
• Maintain documentation and reporting for stakeholders.

Skills

QA leadership

Test planning

Automated testing

Data analysis

Project management

Team leadership

Training design

CI/CD

Stakeholder comms

Education

Bachelor's in engineering or CS

Tools

Automation frameworks

Job description

Company Description

Higher Ground LLC develops one of the world’s most compact, easy-to-use, and secure satellite communicators. The company focuses on enabling stealth reliable connectivity in remote and challenging environments. Our products are designed with end‑DOD users in mind, covering manned scenarios and autonomous UxV applications, putting low detectability and great data security first. We are a full product solution, with a tech stack that covers mobile, radio, secure cloud, and partner integrations.

Role Description

The Director of Testing is a full-time, on‑site or hybrid role. This role oversees all testing activities for the company including mobile integrations, radio hardware, manufacturing, cloud infra, operations and tools, and security. You will lead the team to scale our testing strategy, planning, execution, and continuous improvement. Day‑to‑day responsibilities include leading the QA team, defining test methodologies, coordinating cross‑functional test efforts with engineering and product teams, and ensuring that hardware, firmware, and software releases meet quality and reliability standards. The Director of Testing will analyze defect trends, optimize test coverage, manage testing schedules, and maintain documentation and reporting for internal and external stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Proven success testing a hardware product through full life cycle, i.e. scaling and deployment.
• Proficiency in quality assurance practices, test planning, test case design, and both manual and automated testing for hardware and software.
• Strong analytical skills, including data‑driven problem solving, defect trend analysis, and risk assessment.
• Demonstrated project management capabilities, including planning, scheduling, prioritization, and stakeholder communication.
• Proven team leadership experience, with the ability to mentor, coach, and develop testing and QA professionals.
• Experience designing and delivering training related to testing tools, processes, and quality standards.
• Background in telecommunications, satellite systems, embedded systems, and/or related technology fields is highly beneficial.
• Familiarity with test automation frameworks, scripting languages, and CI/CD environments is an advantage.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, or a related technical discipline; advanced degree is a plus.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across engineering, product, and operations teams.