Senior QA Engineer, AI Wearables and Machine Learning

NextSense, Inc; Mountain View (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Hybrid work in Mountain View, CA

Collaborative work environment

Make a real impact

Job summary

NextSense, Inc. is seeking a dedicated QA professional to own quality across its multi-modal wearable EEG product.

You will lead QA for the iOS app, embedded firmware, on-device and cloud ML pipelines, and our cloud backend, creating rigorous tests and automation from day one. You will design comprehensive test plans for overnight sleep sessions, meditation, focus detection, and device connectivity while collaborating with a cross-functional team across the US and Asia.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of QA experience with hands-on mobile (iOS) testing.
• Experience with embedded firmware/hardware, ML systems, or cloud backends is required.
• Strong ability to design robust test plans and automate tests.

Responsibilities

• Own quality across the iOS app, firmware, ML pipelines, and cloud backend.
• Design and execute test plans for sleep sessions, meditation, EEG, Bluetooth, and battery life.
• Build test automation and CI integration from the ground up.
• Validate ML features (sleep staging, focus) and data correctness.
• Collaborate with engineers, UX designers, scientists across time zones.
• Oversee full QA lifecycle reporting to VP of Engineering; growth path to lead QA.

Skills

iOS testing frameworks

API testing

CI/CD pipelines

AI-assisted testing

Tools

XCTest/XCUITest

Test automation

Job description

At NextSense (https://nextsense.io/), our mission is to restore energy, joy, and purpose to daily life through clinically validated brain-sensing technology. Based in Mountain View, CA, our multi-modal smart earbud platform is designed to enhance sleep at night, deepen meditation, and sharpen focus throughout the day. Join us in shaping the future of wearable EEG and machine-learning-driven insights.

Your Role

You will be our first dedicated QA hire: hands-on from day one, with full ownership of quality across the product.

• We are a close-knit team of experts in hardware, software, algorithms, and neuroscience.
• Own quality across our entire product suite: the iOS app, embedded earbud EEG firmware, on-device and cloud machine-learning pipelines, and our cloud backend.
• Design and execute rigorous test plans for things most QA teams never touch: overnight sleep sessions, meditation, focus, EEG signal quality, Bluetooth connectivity and battery life.
• Build test automation and infrastructure from the ground up: mobile UI automation, API tests, hardware-in-the-loop testing (automated tests running against real earbuds), CI integration, and release quality gates for both app and firmware.
• Validate machine-learning-driven features (sleep staging, meditation and focus detection): regression across model versions, ground-truth datasets, and signal-quality edge cases.
• Verify analytics instrumentation: our product and business decisions run on event data, so its correctness is a quality surface you own.
• AI-first: our engineering org uses AI tools for development, test generation, triage, and automation authoring.
• Collaborate with engineers, UX designers, scientists, and teammates across US and Asia time zones to uphold quality standards in a startup environment.
• Reporting to the VP of Engineering, you will oversee the full QA lifecycle, from test strategy and planning to execution. As we grow, there is a clear path to leading the QA function.
• Experience: 3-5 years in QA with hands-on depth in mobile (iOS) plus at least one of: embedded firmware/hardware, machine-learning systems, or cloud backends.
• Technical Skills: Experience with iOS test frameworks (XCTest/XCUITest or similar), API testing, and CI/CD pipelines.
• AI Fluency: You use AI tools in your daily work (test design, automation authoring, log triage) and are eager to push what modern QA can be.
• Collaboration: Excellent communication skills and experience working with cross-functional, distributed teams.
• Attention to Detail: Highly organized, data-driven, able to create actionable reports and drive quality to resolution.
• Startup Mindset: Adapt and thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment; comfortable wearing multiple hats.
• At this time, we're only able to consider applicants who are legally authorized to work in the United States.

Desired: Familiarity with any of the following

• Wireless connectivity testing (Bluetooth/BLE, audio streaming)
• Machine Learning: fundamentals and testing ML models (e.g., Core ML, on-device inference; evaluating models with metrics like sensitivity/specificity)
• Hardware Testing: validating devices that use biosignals (e.g., EEG or other wearables)
• Cloud and Data: GCP, Firebase, BigQuery; analytics platforms such as Mixpanel
• Mobile release management (TestFlight, phased rollouts)

Company culture and values

At NextSense, we value hard work but also believe in enjoying the journey. Our fast-paced environment is balanced with a fun, collaborative atmosphere that fosters innovation and creativity. We are hands-on, often wearing multiple hats to drive our mission forward. There is ample room for professional growth, with opportunities to learn, take on new challenges, and make a significant impact.

Our culture proceeds from our core values: Conviction, Connection, Curiosity, Compassion, Candor, and Co-Founder Mentality.

Benefits and Perks

• Comprehensive Health Insurance: Medical, dental, and vision
• Hybrid Work: Based in our Mountain View, CA office, with work-from-home flexibility
• Collaborative Work Environment: Supportive, cross-functional teams with opportunities to travel for sync-ups
• Make a Real Impact: Work on a mission-driven product that restores joy, energy, and purpose