Test Automation Engineer - Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL)

About Tau

Power conversion is the bottleneck between the compute, energy, and mobility industries and the future they're trying to build. Most of the industry is still solving it with decades-old approaches. Tau is fixing that. We're a venture-backed hardtech company in Redwood City, building power conversion technology for data centers, EVs, and energy systems. Several products are already moving into production.

We hire people who own problems end-to-end: power electronics, embedded software, controls, test and validation, mechanical design. We solve from first principles, not legacy playbooks. We're past "promising technology." Customers are buying, volume is coming, and the people who join now set the standard everyone builds on after.

About The Role

Tau Motors seeks a Test Automation Engineer, Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) to build and scale our automated test infrastructure across software and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) environments. This role is critical to ensuring the quality and robustness of embedded software controlling next-generation electric propulsion systems.

You’ll work closely with firmware, controls, and hardware teams to design test strategies, develop automated test frameworks, and integrate validation into continuous integration pipelines.

Because our success depends on collaboration, we expect new employees to work onsite five days a week to build strong working relationships with the team.

Our Engineering Approach

Solve customer problems, not engineering puzzles. Great technical work becomes exceptional when it creates reliable products, enables meaningful new capability, and solves real customer problems.

Think in systems. Understand how your work affects the complete product and the people who build it. Make tradeoffs that improve the whole, not just your direct area of ownership.

Exercise judgment. Apply the engineering rigor the risk requires. Make timely decisions with the available evidence, communicate uncertainty, and balance technical excellence with program needs.

Raise the standard. Deliver quality work on time, improve how the team works, and leave the products, systems, tools, and people around you better than you found them.

What You'll Do

• Design, develop, and maintain automated test frameworks for embedded software validation
• Build and operate hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test systems to validate real-time control software
• Develop test cases for motor control algorithms, power electronics, and safety-critical features
• Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines for continuous validation
• Define test strategies, coverage metrics, and validation plans across system, integration, and unit levels
• Debug complex issues spanning software, firmware, and hardware interfaces
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (controls, firmware, electrical, systems) to ensure testability and coverage
• Drive improvements in test infrastructure, tooling, and processes
• Support validation for safety and reliability standards (e.g., ISO 26262 concepts where applicable)

Preferred Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related degree
• 3+ years of experience in test automation for embedded systems
• Strong programming skills (Python, C/C++, or similar)
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing and real-time systems
• Familiarity with embedded software development and debugging
• Experience with lab equipment (oscilloscopes, power supplies, CAN tools, DAQs, etc.)
• Understanding of control systems, motor control, or power electronics is a strong plus
• Experience with CI/CD tools and automated test pipelines (Jenkins)

Desired Skills

• Experience with automotive or safety-critical systems
• Familiarity with CAN, SPI, UART, and other embedded communication protocols
• Experience with simulation environments (MATLAB/Simulink, etc.)
• Exposure to ISO 26262 or similar safety frameworks
• Experience scaling test infrastructure in fast-paced environments

US Salary Information

$120,000.00 - $210,000.00

Tau is committed to paying competitive compensation that is fair and equitable. Your experience, qualifications, training, critical skills, and/or business considerations determine your compensation. We also offer a comprehensive benefits package that may include an annual performance bonus, equity, and other incentive compensation plans considered part of Tau’s total compensation package. To learn more about our top-tier benefits, please visit The level will depend on the candidate’s experience. Our ideal candidate exhibits a can-do attitude and approaches his or her work with vigor and determination. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate excellence in their respective fields and possess the ability to learn quickly within a fast-paced environment.

Perks

• Become part of an emerging company during a rapid growth phase—within an industry undergoing dramatic transformation for a global imperative.

• Work with some of the smartest and most talented experts from different fields to: (1) attack some of the most pressing issues of today while (2) contributing to technically demanding and deeply innovative solutions.

• Growth potential—we advance team members who have an outsized impact.
• Competitive compensation based upon experience level, including stock options—we believe in capturing value in the future we create together.
• Flexible time off and paid holidays.
• Centrally located in the Bay Area on the Peninsula in vibrant downtown Redwood City
  • Blocks from the Caltrain
  • Walking distance to food and entertainment
  • Easy access to both the 101 and 280
• Excellent medical, dental, vision & life insurance
• Comprehensive benefits including 401(k), HSA and FSA benefits, commuter benefits and more

Equal Opportunity Employer

Tau is an equal opportunity employer that guarantees a work environment that respects and values diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

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