Senior Software QA Engineer: UAV & Embedded Validation

PDW; Burlington (MA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive BCBS medical/dental/vis

Safe Harbor 401(K) with company match

Paid Parental Leave

On-site gym (Huntsville, AL & Denver,

Employer provided life insurance

Robust Employee Assistance Program (EA

Teamwork and innovation culture

Competitive salary and PTO

Job summary

Performance Drone Works (PDW) is seeking a Senior Software QA Engineer to drive validation and quality for UAV systems and tool development. You will develop test strategies, automate validation, and collaborate across firmware, ground control, and production teams to ensure reliable software and system behavior.

The role involves defining QA checkpoints, analyzing defects, and mentoring junior engineers while contributing to CI/CD integration and test automation in a fast-paced,

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on experience in software QA, systems QA, or embedded/robotic system validation roles.
• Experience developing and maintaining Python-based test scripts, automation tools, and QA utilities.
• Proficient in PyTest, Playwright, or similar, and building automation for validation, regression, and CI/CD integration.
• Experience using Linux-based environments and contributing to CI/CD workflows and automated test execution.
• Experience with TestRail or similar test management platforms.
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance.

Responsibilities

• Drive design, implementation, and refinement of QA processes for high-quality software and system delivery.
• Develop and execute test strategies across bench, SITL, and flight test environments, including manual and automated testing.
• Define quality checkpoints across development, integration, and release phases.
• Analyze defects, test escapes, and process inefficiencies; perform root cause analysis.
• Collaborate with firmware, ground control, embedded, production, and flight test teams to align on quality goals.
• Create and maintain QA documentation (test plans, test cases, validation procedures, bug reports).
• Mentor junior QA engineers and share best practices for testing tools and workflows.
• Provide input on quality initiatives, release readiness, and validation planning for new features.

Skills

Python scripting

PyTest

Playwright

CI/CD tooling

Linux

Log analysis

TestRail

Tools

TestRail

CI/CD tooling

Job description

Performance Drone Works (PDW) is seeking a Senior Software QA Engineer to drive validation and quality for UAV systems and tool development. You will develop test strategies, automate validation, and collaborate across firmware, ground control, and production teams to ensure reliable software and system behavior.

The role involves defining QA checkpoints, analyzing defects, and mentoring junior engineers while contributing to CI/CD integration and test automation in a fast-paced,