Senior Software QA Engineer (Robotics/UAV)
Summary
Senior QA engineer defining test strategies and owning quality gates for autonomous quadcopter software, using Python/C++ and HIL/SIL test rigs.
We're looking for a highly driven Senior Software QA Engineer to own the quality strategy for the software that flies our quadcopters, not just execute individual test cases. In this role, you'll decide what "tested" means for a given release, design the test architecture that gets us there, and make the call on whether a build is ready to fly. This is a senior individual-contributor role with technical leadership scope, setting direction for how the team tests while staying hands-on enough to build the hardest test rigs and debug the hardest failures yourself.
- Test strategy: define and own the overall test strategy across unit, integration, system, SIL, HIL, and flight test levels
- Traceability: establish and maintain requirements-to-test traceability for safety- and mission-critical functionality
- Test infrastructure: architect and evolve simulation-based and hardware-in-the-loop test infrastructure so it scales with system complexity
- Root-cause leadership: lead investigation of the hardest test failures and field anomalies across perception, GNC, middleware, and platform layers
- Quality gatekeeping: set and enforce the quality bar for releases, defining go/no-go criteria and communicating risk to stakeholders
- Mentorship: mentor QA and software engineers on test design, automation practices, and root-cause debugging
- bring 5+ years of software QA/test engineering experience, including test strategy and architecture ownership
- have strong skills in Python and C++, with the ability to build test infrastructure, not just consume it
- have a deep understanding of requirements-based test design and traceability for safety-relevant software
- have practical experience with software-in-the-loop and/or hardware-in-the-loop testing on embedded Linux targets
- can independently root-cause complex, cross-layer issues from perception and GNC logic down to hardware
- hold a degree in computer science or a comparable field – or equivalent hands-on experience that speaks louder than the diploma
- fluent in English; German is a plus
- Autopilot testing: experience testing autopilot/flight-controller software such as MAVLink/PX4 or other real-time control systems
- Perception exposure: exposure to TensorRT or vision-based perception components and their validation challenges
- Flight test campaigns: experience designing test procedures, analyzing logs/MCAP, and reporting pass/fail criteria
- Real impact & ownership: Shape high-tech defense systems and take responsibility from day one
- Mission-driven environment: Work on technologies that matter for European security and sovereignty
- Competitive package: Competitive salary, EGYM Wellpass, corporate benefits, and equity options aligned with role and level
- Deep tech environment: Get hands-on experience with cutting-edge drone technology and real operational use cases
- Grow fast: Steep learning curve for juniors, strategic influence and leadership opportunities for seniors
- Startup mindset meets defence innovation: flat hierarchies, fast decisions, and space for your ideas.
- Flexibility: Flexible hours, remote options, and relocation support
- Strong team: International, driven colleagues and a culture built on exchange, trust, and shared success