Test & Evaluation Engineer

About Primordial Labs

We're building the next generation interface for commanding autonomous systems in the real world. Our core product, Anura, translates spoken or typed intent into structured actions across drones, sensors, and mission software—enabling faster, more intuitive control in high-stakes environments. We’re a distributed team of engineers, operators, and technologists focused on deploying reliable autonomy at the tactical edge.

The Mission

Anura takes a spoken order and turns it into robot motion. Verifying that is not like verifying normal software. The input is a human voice, the system is probabilistic, and a failure looks like a vehicle doing something the operator didn't ask for. A green unit test suite tells you almost nothing about whether it works.

We test against real airframes, simulation across ground, air, and multi-domain, and a harness that drives Anura and scores against test cases. This role takes that further: deeper coverage earlier in the cycle, harder evaluation sets, and the infrastructure to prove out a build before it ever reaches a range.

You'll build and run the machinery that tells us the truth about our product. When we tell a program office the system performs, you own the evidence behind that claim.

What You'll Do

• Push Coverage Earlier. Build the sim, bench, and CI capability that qualifies a build before it reaches the field. Range time is the most expensive test environment we have, and it should be confirming what you already know, not discovering it.

• Own the Rigs. Extend our test infrastructure and stand up software- and hardware-in-the-loop capability against representative hardware. This is the layer everything else runs on.

• Score the System. Own evaluation sets and adversarial suites. Measure accuracy under degraded conditions and whether an operator's command actually produced the intended behavior end to end, not just whether a component returned something plausible.

• Test on Real Platforms. Execute test cards on live hardware, including safety-relevant behavior. You'll be at the range, and you'll be the one who decides whether what you saw counts as a pass.

• Close the Loop. Turn a day of range data into replayable regression cases and evaluation additions within days, not months. This is the difference between testing and learning.

• Call It Ready. Produce the evidence that says a given build and configuration is flight-ready, and be willing to say "not yet" with data behind it.

The Split

You build the tools, run the tests, and tell us precisely what broke and under what conditions. The engineering teams own the fixes, including in the NLP and autonomy stack. You're the scorekeeper, not the cleanup crew.

Who You Are

• Suspicious by Default. You assume it's broken until something proves otherwise, and you're drawn to the failure mode nobody else thought to look for.

• Engineer First. You write real code. Testing at this level is a software and systems engineering job, not a checklist job.

• Comfortable Around Hardware. Cables, benches, and a robot on a test stand don't intimidate you. You'd rather find the bug on the bench than in the field.

• Statistically Literate. You know a probabilistic system doesn't pass or fail, it performs at a rate, and you can tell the difference between a real regression and noise.

• Independent Minded. You can deliver an unwelcome result to the team that built the thing and make it stick.

• Builds the Function, Not Just the Tests. You think about test as a capability with a roadmap of what it should cover a year out, and what has to exist for that to be possible.

You Might Come From

We're casting wide here. Tell us which of these sounds like you:

• Test automation and CI: You've built test suites and pipelines for complex software and know how to keep them fast and trustworthy.

• Bench and hardware test: You've built HIL rigs, instrumented hardware, and tested embedded or robotic systems.

• ML evaluation: You've built evaluation for models in production, including test set design, metric selection, and catching regressions that standard accuracy numbers hide.

• Flight or field test: You've planned and executed test events on real platforms and know what makes a test day productive instead of wasted.

Strength in one of these plus curiosity about the others is what we're looking for. Nobody arrives with all four.

Required Qualifications

• Experience: 3+ years in test engineering, test automation, systems test, ML evaluation, or a comparable role. Level and scope are flexible for the right candidate.

• Software: Strong proficiency in Python, comfort in Linux, and hands-on experience with CI.

• Depth Somewhere: Demonstrated depth in at least one of test automation, hardware and bench test, ML evaluation, or platform test.

• Travel: Willingness to travel to test ranges and customer sites. This is not a desk-only role.

• Education: BS in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent hands-on experience.

Nice to Have

• Robotics, unmanned systems, or autonomy test experience

• Defense test and evaluation experience, including test plans and government deliverable reporting

• Experience testing systems with ML components

• Part 107 or experience as a safety operator on small UAS

• Ability to obtain a US Security Clearance

Important Qualification Note: Due to the nature of our work and federal compliance requirements, this position strictly requires U.S. Citizenship and current residency within the United States. Please note that Permanent Residency (Green Card status) or visa sponsorship cannot satisfy these specific regulatory requirements.

Compensation

Compensation for this position includes a target base salary of $120,000 - $180,000 annually, with the specific figure determined by the candidate's experience level.

We’re committed to fair and equitable compensation and are happy to explain how we determine our salary ranges, just ask!

Our Benefits

• Beyond a Competitive Salary, we provide a significant equity stake, aligning your growth with ours.

• 100% Remote: This role is fully remote, open to residents across the US. We believe that talent knows no borders (well, except for the US in this case!).

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: We provide comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans so you and your family can stay healthy and worry free.

• Retirement Planning: Plan for tomorrow with our 401(k) package, complete with a generous 6% company match.

• Generous DTO: Our generous Discretionary Time off (DTO) policy is all about helping you take the breaks you deserve and live your healthiest, most fulfilling life.

• Elite Technology Package: Enjoy an elite technology package to make your work effortless and efficient.

Our Interview Process

Our interview process is designed to be thorough and respectful of your time. It typically includes:

1. Conversation with the People Team: Lets get to know one another first!

2. Screener Interview: A 30-minute discussion about relevant concepts and your past experience.

3. Technical Challenge: We provide an at your own pace challenge focused on real life situations. After completion, you'll present your solutions in a follow-up call. This allows us to understand your thought processes and technical approach.

4. Technical Collaboration & Team Q&A: Walk through a recent code sample with the engineering team, discuss your design choices, and ask us anything about our stack, culture, and day to day work.

We are committed to a low-stress interview experience—no trick questions or brain teasers!

Primordial Labs is an equal opportunity employer, committed to creating a welcoming and respectful environment for everyone. Discrimination and harassment have no place here. We firmly believe that a diverse team enriches our problem-solving capabilities, sparks greater creativity, and ultimately leads to a better product and a more vibrant company.

We understand that great talent comes from various paths and that passion and transferable skills are invaluable. At Primordial Labs, what truly matters is your ability to make an impact, your dedication to our mission, and your capacity to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative atmosphere. We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace where you can contribute your unique talents, expand your skills, and learn continuously. If you’re driven to make a real impact, we encourage you to apply, even if your experience doesn’t perfectly align with every qualification.

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