Senior Test Engineer

Senior Test Engineer

Posted on 06/01/2026

Location

Denver, Colorado

Description

You will own system-level validation of Navflex’s autonomous forklift AMR—by continuously testing new software on real vehicles, stress-testing the system against the operational domain, and building automated test infrastructure that closes the gap between lab results and field performance.

This is not a “ticket-only QA” role. You will reproduce issues, analyze logs and data, and drive investigations far enough to pinpoint the most likely subsystem (perception, localization, planning, controls, HW interface, fleet services) and the fastest path to root cause and fix.

Major Duties & Responsibilities

1. Own scenario-based validation across the operational domain 

   • Define and maintain an Operational Design Domain (ODD) and scenario library that reflects real warehouse and trailer-loading workflows (normal operation, edge cases, abuse cases).

   • Translate requirements and known risks into testable acceptance criteria, pass/fail metrics, and release gates.

   • Design and execute functional, regression, performance, reliability, and safety validation plans at the system level.

   • Plan long-duration stability/endurance campaigns and track reliability trends over time.

2. Continuously test software on real vehicles (lab + field) 

   • Own day-to-day test execution on a vehicle fleet: smoke tests, nightly/weekly regressions, and targeted experiments for new features and bug fixes.

   • Run structured test sessions that intentionally challenge autonomy behavior in a safe, controlled way (tight spaces, occlusions, pallet variability, trailer geometry, degraded sensors, etc.).

   • Support pilots and customer transitions; ensure evidence-based sign-off for rollout and ramp.

3. Debug, reproduce, and isolate issues using logs and data

   • Reproduce failures using on-robot tests, log replay, simulation, and HIL as appropriate.

   • Analyze logs/traces and recorded datasets (e.g., ROS bag files, telemetry, event logs) to identify failure signatures and likely root causes.

   • Create high-signal bug reports with minimal repro steps, expected vs. actual behavior, and supporting evidence (plots, log snippets, metrics).

   • Partner with engineers to drive issues to closure and prevent regressions.

4. Build automated test infrastructure (SIL/HIL + reporting) 

   • Develop automated test scripts that run against simulation and log replay, and extend them to execute on physical robots where feasible.

   • Design and implement Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) capabilities to validate critical interfaces and autonomy behavior without always needing a full vehicle-in-the-loop setup.

   • Integrate automated tests into CI/CD (per-PR, nightly, and release-candidate runs).

   • Build tooling to compare expected vs. actual vehicle behavior from logged data; establish dashboards for coverage, pass rates, and reliability trends.

   • Automate test reporting and release readiness summaries for engineering, product, and operations stakeholders.

5. Improve test process and raise the quality bar 

   • Own test request intake: guide developers to the right validation method (unit/integration/system/HIL/field) and prioritize by risk and impact.

   • Continuously refine workflows to improve coverage, safety, and confidence in every release.

Mentor junior engineers and contribute to best practices in testing, documentation, and safe operations around robotic hardware.

Minimum Skills & Abilities

Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field (or equivalent practical experience).

• 5+ years in system testing, validation, integration testing, or quality engineering for complex electromechanical products (robotics, autonomous systems, vehicles, industrial automation, or similar).

• Python proficiency for test automation and data analysis; ability to read and navigate C++ codebases strongly preferred.

• Strong Linux proficiency and experience with Git-based workflows.

• Experience designing structured test plans and executing them with clear pass/fail criteria and documentation.

• Professional fluency in English.

• Willingness to travel up to 20% of the time.

Preferred, But Not Required 

• Experience testing AMRs/AGVs, autonomous forklifts, or other mobile robots in production environments.

• Experience with ROS or ROS 2 (introspection tooling, bagging/replay, launch/test utilities).

• Experience with simulation or digital twin environments (e.g., Gazebo, Isaac Sim, Webots, Unity) and sim-to-real validation practices.

• Experience with HIL/SIL test setups, fault injection, and long-duration stability testing.

• Experience validating API contracts and distributed systems that interface with robot fleets (fleet manager, telemetry pipeline, integrations).

• Familiarity with safety standards relevant to driverless industrial trucks (e.g., ISO 3691-4) and safe testing practices around heavy equipment.

• Experience with test management/bug tracking tools (e.g., ClickUp, TestRail) and building metrics dashboards.

• German language proficiency.

Minimum Education & Experience

Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field (or equivalent practical experience).

• 5+ years in system testing, validation, integration testing, or quality engineering for complex electromechanical products (robotics, autonomous systems, vehicles, industrial automation, or similar).

• Python proficiency for test automation and data analysis; ability to read and navigate C++ codebases strongly preferred.

• Strong Linux proficiency and experience with Git-based workflows.

• Experience designing structured test plans and executing them with clear pass/fail criteria and documentation.

• Professional fluency in English.

• Willingness to travel up to 20% of the time.

Preferred, But Not Required 

• Experience testing AMRs/AGVs, autonomous forklifts, or other mobile robots in production environments.

• Experience with ROS or ROS 2 (introspection tooling, bagging/replay, launch/test utilities).

• Experience with simulation or digital twin environments (e.g., Gazebo, Isaac Sim, Webots, Unity) and sim-to-real validation practices.

• Experience with HIL/SIL test setups, fault injection, and long-duration stability testing.

• Experience validating API contracts and distributed systems that interface with robot fleets (fleet manager, telemetry pipeline, integrations).

• Familiarity with safety standards relevant to driverless industrial trucks (e.g., ISO 3691-4) and safe testing practices around heavy equipment.

• Experience with test management/bug tracking tools (e.g., ClickUp, TestRail) and building metrics dashboards.

• German language proficiency.