Senior Staff Software Engineer, Manufacturing Software

ridealso; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 225,000 - 265,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

One Medical membership

Fertility benefits

Flexible time off

401(k) match

Job summary

ALSO is seeking a Senior Staff Software Engineer, Manufacturing Software to lead the vehicle integration test station infrastructure and interface with firmware and data platforms.

You will guide a small team responsible for software that builds, validates, certifies, updates, and sustains products across the manufacturing network, bridging Product Firmware, Validation, and Tools Engineering with Operations and CM partners.

Qualifications

• BS or MS in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
• 6+ years in manufacturing test systems, ATE, or production software, having built and shipped test stations that ran in production at volume.
• Fluency in Python (or equivalent scripting language) as your primary tool for test automation, instrument control, and data processing
• Experience with the full factory test lifecycle: DFT analysis, ICT/FCT development, EOL sequence design, fixture collaboration, and sustaining
• Applied statistical analysis of factory test data, working the numbers yourself to drive process decisions
• Strong systems design instincts, with the ability to architect a test station framework that scales across multiple products and sites
• Ability to translate EE-defined test procedures into precise, automatable test requirements, owning the requirements document, not just the implementation
• Direct, on-site experience working with contract manufacturers, having managed that interface professionally through a CM relationship
• Open to travel to Taiwan
• Clear English communication as the technical interface between Palo Alto and Taiwan; Mandarin or Taiwanese communication a plus

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and own the test station software stack: operator-facing UI, test sequence orchestration, hardware instrument control, and data logging
• Translate EE-defined test procedures into automated, repeatable test sequences that factory operators can run with confidence
• Define the interface contract between test stations and the production firmware image — what test modes the FW team must expose, what data the station needs, what the station can and cannot do
• Design robust firmware update and recovery processes for production environments.
• Own device provisioning, certification, and security workflows at the factory: secure boot verification, key provisioning, certificate injection, serial number assignment, and factory configuration locking
• Partner with our contract manufacturers in Asia to deploy test stations, qualify the line, and debug production issues on the floor
• Travel extensively - currently to Taiwan and Asia, as you'll be there regularly during NPI and ramp for new vehicle programs.
• Establish test data pipelines, yield tracking, and reporting infrastructure, including statistical analysis, that gives the product and operations teams clear visibility into line health and process control
• Drive continuous improvement in test throughput, coverage, and first-pass yield using data you've collected and analyzed yourself
• Travel as needed - currently to Taiwan and Asia, as you'll be there regularly during NPI and ramp for new vehicle programs.
• Define the interface contract with the firmware team: what test modes and diagnostic hooks the production FW image need to expose, and validate that they work correctly. Ideal candidates have sufficient embedded firmware expertise to submit direct changes as necessary to get unblocked.

Skills

Python

Test automation

Instrument control

Data processing

Statistical analysis

Systems design

Firmware collaboration

On-site travel

Education

BS in Computer Engineering

MS in Electrical Engineering

MS in Computer Science

Tools

Test stations

Job description

About ALSO.

We’re ALSO, an electric mobility company originally conceived as a part of Rivian. We’re a passionate team of builders, dreamers, doers and innovators, focused on creating entirely new (not to mention, innovative and delightful) vertically integrated, small EVs designed to meet the global mobility challenges of today and tomorrow. Our mission is to inspire everyone to ride ALSO—replacing many local car, truck and SUV miles with ones on vehicles that are more affordable, more enjoyable and 10-50x more efficient.

We're hiring a Senior Staff Software Engineer, Manufacturing Software, to lead our vehicle integration test station infrastructure, interface with systems like firmware and the data platform, and build and lead our Manufacturing Test Station & Firmware team. This new team will own the software infrastructure required to build, validate, certify, update, and sustain products across our global manufacturing network, serving as the bridge between Product Firmware, Validation & Tools Engineering, Hardware Engineering, Operations, suppliers, and contract manufacturers.

This is a technical leadership role for someone who enjoys solving complex system-level problems and working directly with manufacturing partners. You'll lead a small team of test station and firmware engineers while staying deeply involved in technical execution. It's a systems-first, factory-floor-up role: your mental model is the operator at the line, the test sequence running against a unit, and the data coming out the other side, along with everything that has to be designed, secured, and maintained to make that reliable at volume.

What You’ll Do

• Design, build, and own the test station software stack: operator-facing UI, test sequence orchestration, hardware instrument control, and data logging

• Translate EE-defined test procedures into automated, repeatable test sequences that factory operators can run with confidence

• Define the interface contract between test stations and the production firmware image — what test modes the FW team must expose, what data the station needs, what the station can and cannot do

• Design robust firmware update and recovery processes for production environments.

• Own device provisioning, certification, and security workflows at the factory: secure boot verification, key provisioning, certificate injection, serial number assignment, and factory configuration locking

• Partner with our contract manufacturers in Asia to deploy test stations, qualify the line, and debug production issues on the floor

• Travel extensively - currently to Taiwan and Asia, as you'll be there regularly during NPI and ramp for new vehicle programs.

• Establish test data pipelines, yield tracking, and reporting infrastructure, including statistical analysis, that gives the product and operations teams clear visibility into line health and process control

• Drive continuous improvement in test throughput, coverage, and first-pass yield using data you've collected and analyzed yourself

• Travel as needed - currently to Taiwan and Asia, as you'll be there regularly during NPI and ramp for new vehicle programs.

• Define the interface contract with the firmware team: what test modes and diagnostic hooks the production FW image need to expose, and validate that they work correctly. Ideal candidates have sufficient embedded firmware expertise to submit direct changes as necessary to get unblocked.

What You’ll Bring

• BS or MS in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field

• 6+ years in manufacturing test systems, ATE, or production software, having built and shipped test stations that ran in production at volume

• Fluency in Python (or equivalent scripting language) as your primary tool for test automation, instrument control, and data processing

• Experience with the full factory test lifecycle: DFT analysis, ICT/FCT development, EOL sequence design, fixture collaboration, and sustaining

• Applied statistical analysis of factory test data, working the numbers yourself to drive process decisions

• Strong systems design instincts, with the ability to architect a test station framework that scales across multiple products and sites, viewing ALSO's manufacturing network as a systems design problem

• Ability to translate EE-defined test procedures into precise, automatable test requirements, owning the requirements document, not just the implementation

• Direct, on-site experience working with contract manufacturers, having managed that interface professionally through a CM relationship

• Open to travel to Taiwan

• Clear English communication as the technical interface between Palo Alto and Taiwan; Mandarin or Taiwanese communication a plus

The salary for this position ranges from $225,000 - $265,000 per year, depending on experience, qualifications, and location.

Perks & Benefits

• Robust health coverage — excellent health, dental and vision insurance covered up to 100% by ALSO with FSA & HSA options

• One Medical membership and dedicated insurance advocates

• Rich fertility and family building benefits with Progyny

• Flexible time off

• 401(k) match

Why ALSO.

We’re passionate about helping the world find a better way to get there—wherever it is you’re headed.

We’re located in the heart of Silicon Valley and have brought together a world‑class team from some of the biggest brands in the technology, automotive, cycling, outdoor recreation and retail spaces.

Together we’re working hands‑on to imagine, design and build an entirely new solution to a global set of transportation challenges.