Senior Engineer, Systems Test (R4472)

The Rundown AI, Inc.; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Benefits

Equity

Job summary

A technology company in Washington, DC is seeking a Full-time Software Test Engineer to develop automated testing for autonomy software. The role requires skills in Python, software testing, and experience with simulation environments. Ideal candidates have 3-5 years in software quality assurance, strong analytical skills, and the ability to work collaboratively. U.S. Citizenship and the ability to obtain a SECRET clearance are required. Join us in advancing intelligent systems that support service members and civilians.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience in software integration, testing, or quality assurance.
• Proficient in Python for scripting and data analysis.
• Experience with test automation tools and environments.
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Responsibilities

• Develop automated regression and integration tests for software quality.
• Identify and diagnose software issues in collaboration with development teams.
• Create test plans and maintain detailed documentation.
• Design and maintain simulation-based test frameworks to validate autonomy behavior and performance.
• Build Python tools to automate testing, data processing, and analysis workflows.
• Develop test harnesses for SIL/HIL/VIL in simulation environments.
• Contribute to testing methodologies, metrics, and performance benchmarks.
• Support scaling and reliability of simulation infrastructure for large-scale validation.
• Maintain detailed test documentation for traceability and knowledge sharing.
• Integrate test coverage into CI/CD pipelines.

Skills

Python for test automation

Software testing principles

Analytical and problem-solving skills

Collaboration and communication skills

Simulation environments

Debugging

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Simulation environments (Gazebo, Unreal)

CI/CD tools (GitLab CI, Jenkins)

GitLab CI/Jenkins

Job description

Overview

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed deep-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

What you' "re do:

• Develop automated regression, integration, and system-level tests to ensure Hivemind software quality and stability across releases.
• Identify, reproduce, and diagnose software issues—collaborating closely with development teams to drive fixes and improvements.
• Create and execute test plans and documentation for autonomy software in simulated environments, ensuring mission and safety requirements are met.
• Design, implement, and maintain simulation-based test frameworks to validate Hivemind autonomy behavior and performance.
• Build tools and utilities in Python to automate testing, data processing, and analysis workflows.
• Develop test harnesses and data validation tools for Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) / Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) / Vehicle-in-the-Loop (VIL) and simulation environments.
• Contribute to the definition of testing methodologies, metrics, and performance benchmarks for autonomy software validation.
• Support the scaling and reliability of simulation infrastructure used for large-scale software validation.
• Maintain detailed and accurate test documentation, ensuring traceability and knowledge sharing across teams.
• Work with developers to integrate test coverage directly into the development pipeline (CI/CD).

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related technical field.
• 3–5 years of experience in software integration, testing, or quality assurance, preferably in robotics, aerospace, or autonomous systems.
• Proficiency in Python for test automation, scripting, and data analysis.
• Experience with simulation environments (e.g., Gazebo, Unreal, or custom simulation frameworks) and test automation tools.
• Strong understanding of software testing principles, including integration, regression, and system-level validation.
• Familiarity with continuous integration (CI/CD) and test pipelines (e.g., GitLab CI, Jenkins).
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and debugging skills.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills with software and systems teams.
• Adaptability, growth mindset, and willingness to learn new technologies quickly in a fast-paced, scaling environment.
• Self-starter with a sense of urgency, motivation, and comfort operating in ambiguity.
• U.S. Citizenship and ability to obtain and maintain a SECRET clearance.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience testing autonomous systems, robotics software, or flight autonomy algorithms.
• Familiarity with C++ and software/hardware integration concepts.
• Experience with HIL or VIL test environments.
• Exposure to machine learning or AI-driven autonomy systems.
• Background in simulation infrastructure design, distributed testing, or test data management.
• Quality Assurance (QA) experience, including process definition, metrics, and validation tracking.
• Experience with aerospace, defense, or mission-critical software.
• Active SECRET clearance preferred.

Full-time regular employee offer package:

Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity

Temporary employee offer package:

Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.

Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.