OTA Validation Engineer

Applied Intuition; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Applied Intuition in Sunnyvale, CA, is seeking an OTA Validation Engineer to validate Over-the-Air updates on automotive ECUs and vehicles. You will collaborate with systems engineers, software developers, and senior validators to execute test plans, investigate failures, and improve test automation.

This role is ideal for early-career engineers who enjoy hands-on work with automotive hardware, embedded systems, and software testing, with mentorship from senior validation engineers and growing

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in software validation, embedded systems, or automotive engineering
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
• Basic Python programming skills
• Familiarity with the Linux command line
• Understanding of software testing fundamentals (test case design, defect lifecycle, regression testing)

Responsibilities

• Design and execute manual and automated test cases for OTA software features and system requirements.
• Validate OTA update workflows across HIL benches, lab vehicles, and prototype vehicles, including ECU communication and vehicle functionality.
• Perform functional and regression testing across vehicle ECUs under various network, power, and update conditions.
• Develop and maintain Python-based test automation to improve coverage and regression efficiency.
• Analyze logs, investigate defects, verify fixes with engineering teams, and document test results, bug reports, and validation artifacts.

Skills

Software validation

Embedded systems

Python

Linux CLI

Test design

Education

CS/CE/EE

Tools

CAN

CANoe

PCAN

Job description

About Applied Intuition

Applied Intuition, Inc. is powering the future of physical AI. Founded in 2017 and now valued at $15 billion, the Silicon Valley company is creating the digital infrastructure needed to bring intelligence to every moving machine on the planet. Applied Intuition services the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining and agriculture industries in three core areas: tools and infrastructure, operating systems, and autonomy. Eighteen of the top 20 global automakers, as well as the United States military and its allies, trust the company’s solutions to deliver physical intelligence. Applied Intuition is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices in Washington, D.C.; San Diego; Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; Ann Arbor, Michigan; London; Stuttgart; Munich; Stockholm; Bangalore; Seoul; and Tokyo. Learn more at applied.co.

We are an in-office company, and our expectation is that employees primarily work from their Applied Intuition office 5 days a week. However, we also recognize the importance of flexibility and trust our employees to manage their schedules responsibly. This may include occasional remote work, starting the day with morning meetings from home before heading to the office, or leaving earlier when needed to accommodate family commitments.

About the Role

We are looking for a motivated OTA Validation Engineer to join our Validation team. In this role, you will be responsible for validating Over-the-Air (OTA) software updates on automotive ECUs and vehicles. You will work closely with systems engineers, software developers, and senior validation engineers to execute test plans, investigate failures, and improve test automation.

This role is ideal for early-career engineers who enjoy hands‑on work with automotive hardware, embedded systems, and software testing, and who want to grow into automotive OTA domain experts. You will receive mentorship from senior validation engineers and gradually take on greater ownership of test plans and automation.

What You'll Do

• Design and execute manual and automated test cases for OTA software features and system requirements.
• Validate OTA update workflows across HIL benches, lab vehicles, and prototype vehicles, including ECU communication and vehicle functionality.
• Perform functional and regression testing across vehicle ECUs under various network, power, and update conditions.
• Develop and maintain Python-based test automation to improve coverage and regression efficiency.
• Analyze logs, investigate defects, verify fixes with engineering teams, and document test results, bug reports, and validation artifacts.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in software validation, embedded systems, or automotive engineering
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
• Basic Python programming skills
• Familiarity with the Linux command line
• Understanding of software testing fundamentals (test case design, defect lifecycle, regression testing)

Nice to Have

• CAN or Automotive Ethernet knowledge
• Experience with Vector CANoe or PCAN
• Experience with embedded Linux, Android, or QNX
• Experience using issue tracking tools (Jira, Polarion, etc.)

Don’t meet every single requirement? If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Applied Intuition is an equal opportunity employer and federal contractor or subcontractor. Consequently, the parties agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60‑1.4(a), 41 CFR 60‑300.5(a) and 41 CFR 60‑741.5(a) and that these laws are incorporated herein by reference. These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. These regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability. The parties also agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of Executive Order 13496 (29 CFR Part 471, Appendix A to Subpart A), relating to the notice of employee rights under federal labor laws.