Test Automation Engineer

John Deere; Urbandale (IA); On-site; USD 87,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work arrangements

Competitive base pay

401K and retirement benefits

Health benefits

Adoption assistance

Employee assistance programs

Tuition assistance

Fitness subsidies

Charitable contribution match

Employee discounts

Vacation and holidays

Job summary

John Deere is seeking a Test Automation Engineer in Urbandale, IA, to strengthen automated testing for Planting products. The role emphasizes shift-left verification, scalable test solutions, and collaboration with product, verification, and platform teams to improve software quality.

You will develop automated test capabilities, integrate with CI/CD, and help expand virtual verification while reducing late-stage physical testing. Onsite position with competitive compensation and benefits.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of embedded software development experience.
• Experience developing automated test solutions for complex software or embedded systems.
• Strong software skills in Python, C++, or similar.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, automated build and test systems, and modern software engineering practices.
• Experience diagnosing software, integration, or system-level issues across multiple domains.
• Ability to lead technical initiatives and influence teams without direct authority.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively across multiple organizations and technical disciplines.
• Experience translating business and product objectives into scalable verification strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to independently identify problems, drive alignment, and deliver solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and maintenance of automated system-level and integration-level test suites for Planting products.
• Partner with software developers, verification champions, architects, and platform teams to ensure products are designed with testability, observability, and automation in mind.
• Drive adoption of shift-left verification practices through simulation, virtual environments, CI/CD integration, and automated regression testing.
• Influence technical direction by identifying gaps in current verification approaches and proposing improvements to infrastructure, tooling, and workflows.
• Develop automation frameworks, reusable libraries, and test infrastructure that can be leveraged across multiple teams and products.
• Collaborate with simulation and platform teams to expand virtual verification capabilities and reduce reliance on late-stage physical testing.
• Analyze test results, identify quality trends, and drive actions that improve defect detection effectiveness.
• Champion automation as a product, balancing immediate delivery needs with long-term capability development.
• Partner with product and platform organizations to define automation roadmaps and prioritize investments that improve development efficiency and software quality.
• Support integration of automated testing into enterprise development pipelines and release readiness activities.

Skills

Embedded software

Automation testing

Python / C++

CI/CD

Debugging

Leadership

Communication

Verification strategy

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/CS/Software Engineering

Tools

CI/CD pipelines

Python tooling

Job description

There are over 7 billion people on this planet. And by 2050, there will be 2 billion more... many moving into urban centers at an unprecedented rate. Making sure there is enough food, fiber and infrastructure for our rapidly growing world is what we're all about at John Deere. And it's why we're investing in our people and our technology like never before! Here the world's brightest minds are tackling the world's biggest challenges. If you believe one person can make the world a better place, we'll put you to work. RIGHT NOW.

John Deere is an equal opportunity employer, including disabled & veterans.

Primary Location: United States (US) - Iowa - Urbandale

Function: Product Engineering (CA)

Title: Test Automation Engineer - 123691

Onsite/Remote: Onsite Position

Your Responsibilities

As a Test Automation Engineer supporting the Planting production step, for John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group located in Urbandale, IA you will play a critical role in advancing our shift-left verification strategy by developing automated test capabilities that accelerate feedback, improve product quality, and increase confidence in software releases.

You will work closely with Planting product teams, software development teams, verification engineers, and simulation teams to identify automation opportunities and implement scalable solutions that enable testing earlier in the development lifecycle.

In Addition, You Will

• Lead development and maintenance of automated system-level and integration-level test suites for Planting products.
• Partner with software developers, verification champions, architects, and platform teams to ensure products are designed with testability, observability, and automation in mind.
• Drive adoption of shift-left verification practices through simulation, virtual environments, CI/CD integration, and automated regression testing.
• Influence technical direction by identifying gaps in current verification approaches and proposing improvements to infrastructure, tooling, and workflows.
• Develop automation frameworks, reusable libraries, and test infrastructure that can be leveraged across multiple teams and products.
• Collaborate with simulation and platform teams to expand virtual verification capabilities and reduce reliance on late-stage physical testing.
• Analyze test results, identify quality trends, and drive actions that improve defect detection effectiveness.
• Champion automation as a product, balancing immediate delivery needs with long-term capability development.
• Partner with product and platform organizations to define automation roadmaps and prioritize investments that improve development efficiency and software quality.
• Support integration of automated testing into enterprise development pipelines and release readiness activities.

VISA Sponsorship is NOT available for this position

What Skills You Need

• 3+ years of experience working as part of an embedded software development or related team
• Experience developing automated test solutions for complex software or embedded systems.
• Strong software development skills in languages such as Python, C++, or similar.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, automated build and test systems, and modern software engineering practices.
• Experience diagnosing software, integration, or system-level issues across multiple domains.
• Ability to lead technical initiatives and influence teams without direct authority.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively across multiple organizations and technical disciplines.
• Experience translating business and product objectives into scalable verification strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to independently identify problems, drive alignment, and deliver solutions.

What Makes You Stand Out

• Experience with agricultural equipment, precision agriculture, planting systems, or autonomous systems.
• Experience with simulation, SIL, HIL, virtual verification, or digital engineering environments.
• Knowledge of test architecture, test framework development, and verification strategy.
• Experience integrating automated testing into product development pipelines.
• Experience leveraging AI-assisted development or AI-enabled test generation to improve engineering productivity.
• Experience working across platform and application teams to drive common solutions and organizational change.
• Passion for transforming how products are verified through automation, data, and software engineering best practices.

Education

Ideally, you will have a degree or equivalent related work experience in one of the following:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, or a related technical discipline is required.
• Advanced degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, Robotics, Autonomous Systems, or a related field is preferred but not required.

What You’ll Get

At John Deere, you are empowered to create a career that will take you to where you want to go while working in an inclusive team environment. Here, you'll enjoy the freedom to explore new projects, the support to think outside the box and the advanced tools and technology that foster innovation and achievement. Additionally, we offer a comprehensive reward package to help you get started on your new career path, including:

• Flexible work arrangements
• Highly competitive base pay
• Savings & Retirement benefits (401K and Defined Contribution)
• Healthcare benefits with a generous company contribution in the Health Savings Account
• Adoption assistance
• Employee Assistance Programs
• Tuition assistance
• Fitness subsidies and on-site gyms at specific Deere locations
• Charitable contribution match
• Employee Purchase Plan & numerous discount programs for personal use
• Vacation and Holiday Pay

$86,892.00 - $130,332.00 + Benefits

Must be 18 years of age or older to apply

The information contained herein is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and qualifications required of individuals performing the job. The qualifications detailed in this job description are not considered the minimum requirements necessary to perform the job, but rather as guidelines.

The terms of the applicable benefit plans, and all company actions administering or interpreting these plans, continue to control. Deere & Company reserves the right to suspend, amend, modify, or terminate the Plan(s) in any manner at any time, including the right to modify or eliminate any cost-sharing between the company and participants. Changes, which can be made at any time, are made by action of the company's board of directors, or to the extent authorized by resolution of its board of directors, or by the Deere & Company Compensation Committee. In the event of a conflict between the language of the official Plan Documents and this document, the language of the official Plan Documents will control.

ACA Section 1557 Nondiscrimination Notice

The John Deere Health Benefit Plans for Salaried Employees and The John Deere Benefit Plan for Wage Employees comply with applicable Federal civil rights laws and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with disability.