Software Development Engineer in Test

Research Innovations Incorporated; Alexandria (VA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work schedules

Health insurance coverage

401k with company match

Paid parental leave

Access to wellness programs

Job summary

Research Innovations Incorporated is seeking a Software Development Engineer in Test in Alexandria, VA. This role involves designing and developing automated testing frameworks, conducting extensive testing for the Dragonfly platform, and collaborating with engineering teams to ensure software quality.

The ideal candidate will have over 3 years of experience, with strong skills in Python or Rust, and familiarity with Linux-based systems. Competitive benefits include flexible work schedules, health insurance, and a 401k with company match.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of SDET or software QA engineering experience, ideally within defense or embedded systems domains.
• Experience developing and maintaining automated test suites using Python, Rust, or similar languages.
• Comfort operating in varied environments, including vehicle-mounted or field-deployed configurations.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain automated test frameworks.
• Perform hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing across the complete platform.
• Execute structured laboratory testing of RF detection capabilities.
• Plan and execute outdoor field testing activities.

Skills

Automated test development

Collaboration with engineering teams

Experience with Python or Rust

Linux-based systems familiarity

Education

3+ years of SDET or software QA experience

Tools

Jira

Gitlab

Docker

Job description

Position Title: Software Development Engineer in Test

Location: Alexandria, VA

Clearance Requirement: US Citizenship is required/Must be clearable

Travel: Less than 25%

Employment type: Full Time

Research Innovations, Inc. (RII) is breaking through the big, slow status quo with transformative technology that fundamentally improves the world. We build advanced software solutions for government and military missions, applying agile development and user‑centered design to solve complex, mission‑critical problems.

Dragonfly is RII's next‑generation electromagnetic spectrum operations platform, combining advanced sensor integration, GPU‑accelerated signal processing, artificial intelligence, and autonomous spectrum operations to deliver real‑time spectrum awareness, passive target detection, electronic warfare support, and mission‑focused analytics across man‑portable, vehicle‑mounted, maritime, and airborne environments.

What You Will Be Doing

Automated Test Development & Validation

• Design, develop, and maintain automated test frameworks supporting Dragonfly's microservices‑based software architecture, browser‑based tactical user interface, RF signal processing pipelines, and REST/GraphQL APIs.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive test plans, test procedures, test cases, and requirements traceability matrices aligned with system‑level requirements, customer objectives, and mission use cases.
• Collaborate with software, hardware, and systems engineering teams to define acceptance criteria, identify defects early in the development lifecycle, and support quality assurance activities within CI/CD pipelines.
• Maintain automated regression test suites to ensure software stability, performance, and repeatability across product releases.

System Integration & Hardware‑in‑the‑Loop Testing

• Perform hardware‑in‑the‑loop (HIL) testing across the complete Dragonfly platform, including processing units, direction‑finding antennas, software‑defined radios, and associated peripherals.
• Validate subsystem and end‑to‑end system integrations, ensuring interoperability between Dragonfly, external partner systems, and command‑and‑control (C2) platforms.
• Verify system functionality, data flow integrity, and operational performance across integrated hardware and software environments.
• Support verification activities for new hardware configurations, software releases, and system enhancements prior to operational deployment.

RF Performance & Mission Capability Verification

• Execute structured laboratory testing of RF detection, direction finding, geolocation, EMCON monitoring, and spectrum awareness capabilities against documented requirements and performance specifications.
• Validate GPU‑accelerated digital signal processing functions, including multi‑channel direction finding, signal correlation, emitter characterization, and machine‑learning‑based antenna calibration algorithms.
• Verify wide‑band survey operations, signal classification, direction‑finding accuracy, and real‑time signal processing performance across representative operational scenarios.
• Conduct RF performance assessments to ensure mission systems meet accuracy, responsiveness, and operational effectiveness requirements.

Field Testing & Operational Evaluation

• Plan and execute outdoor field testing activities involving live RF signal collection and operational system employment.
• Evaluate system performance under realistic environmental conditions, validating signal detection, geolocation accuracy, direction‑finding performance, and spectrum monitoring capabilities.
• Document environmental variables, test configurations, and operational conditions to ensure repeatable and defensible test results.
• Support customer demonstrations, operational assessments, and field validation events as required.

Test Documentation & Continuous Improvement

• Document test results, anomalies, defect reports, regression outcomes, and corrective actions with clear reproduction steps and supporting technical evidence.
• Maintain detailed testing records, quality documentation, and verification artifacts supporting system acceptance and product readiness reviews.
• Analyze test results and performance trends to identify reliability issues, software defects, integration risks, and opportunities for system improvement.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives by refining test methodologies, expanding automation coverage, and improving overall product quality and mission readiness.

What You Have Done

• 3+ years of SDET or software QA engineering experience, ideally within defense, RF, or embedded systems domains
• Developed and maintained automated test suites using Python, Rust, or similar languages against REST or GraphQL APIs
• Written and executed test plans covering both functional and integration testing for complex, multi‑component systems
• Performed field or outdoor hardware/software validation testing, with comfort operating in varied environments including vehicle‑mounted or field‑deployed configurations
• Worked with Linux‑based systems (RHEL/Rocky or equivalent) and have familiarity with Docker containerized environments
• Tested or operated software‑defined radio (SDR) systems or spectrum analysis tools
• Used defect tracking and test management tools (Jira, Gitlab) to manage test coverage and report quality metrics
• Collaborated within Agile/Scrum development teams alongside engineers, product owners, and program managers.

EVEN BETTER

• Hands‑on experience with RF signal collection, spectrum analysis, or electronic warfare / SIGINT systems
• Familiarity with direction‑finding concepts, geolocation techniques (LOB, TDOA), or signal characterization workflows
• Experience testing AI/ML inference pipelines or GPU‑accelerated compute (NVIDIA CUDA)
• Background testing military or government systems against MIL‑STD compliance requirements (MIL‑STD‑810, MIL‑STD‑461, etc.)
• Exposure to JICD 4.2, ISA, or similar defense data standards and interoperability testing
• Experience with performance and stress testing of real‑time data processing systems
• Active DoD security clearance (Secret or above)
• Prior work with unmanned systems (UAS), vehicle‑mounted sensor platforms, or field‑deployed tactical equipment.

Benefits include flexible work schedules, health insurance coverage, paid time off, 401k with a company match, paid parental leave, access to wellness programs, and more.

Research Innovations Incorporated is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.