Automotive Research And Development Engineer Jobs in Virginia

Position Title: Software Development Engineer in Test 

Location: Alexandria, VA

Clearance Requirement:Candidate must have the ability to obtain a clearance

Travel: Less than 25%

Employment type: Full Time

Research Innovations, Inc. (RII) is breaking through the big, slow status quo with transformative technology that fundamentally improves the world. We build advanced software solutions for government and military missions, applying agile development and user-centered design to solve complex, mission-critical problems.

Dragonfly is RII's next-generation electromagnetic spectrum operations platform, combining advanced sensor integration, GPU-accelerated signal processing, artificial intelligence, and autonomous spectrum operations to deliver real-time spectrum awareness, passive target detection, electronic warfare support, and mission-focused analytics across man-portable, vehicle-mounted, maritime, and airborne environments.

We are seeking a Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) to ensure the quality, reliability, and operational readiness of Dragonfly's software across its full mission capability set. In this role, you will design and execute test strategies spanning controlled lab environments and live outdoor RF collection scenarios, validating everything from core signal processing pipelines and direction finding accuracy to partner system integrations and the browser-based tactical UI. You will work closely with software engineers, systems integrators, and program teams to define acceptance criteria, build automated test frameworks, and drive defects to resolution. The ideal candidate brings a strong software testing foundation combined with a genuine interest in RF systems, electronic warfare, or defense technologies, and thrives in a hands-on environment where the lab is just as likely to be a parking lot with an antenna as it is a bench in an office.

Automated Test Development & Validation

• Design, develop, and maintain automated test frameworks supporting Dragonfly's microservices-based software architecture, browser-based tactical user interface, RF signal processing pipelines, and REST/GraphQL APIs.

• Develop and maintain comprehensive test plans, test procedures, test cases, and requirements traceability matrices aligned with system-level requirements, customer objectives, and mission use cases.

• Collaborate with software, hardware, and systems engineering teams to define acceptance criteria, identify defects early in the development lifecycle, and support quality assurance activities within CI/CD pipelines.

• Maintain automated regression test suites to ensure software stability, performance, and repeatability across product releases.

System Integration & Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing

• Perform hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing across the complete Dragonfly platform, including processing units, direction-finding antennas, software-defined radios, and associated peripherals.

• Validate subsystem and end-to-end system integrations, ensuring interoperability between Dragonfly, external partner systems, and command-and-control (C2) platforms.

• Verify system functionality, data flow integrity, and operational performance across integrated hardware and software environments.

• Support verification activities for new hardware configurations, software releases, and system enhancements prior to operational deployment.

RF Performance & Mission Capability Verification

• Execute structured laboratory testing of RF detection, direction finding, geolocation, EMCON monitoring, and spectrum awareness capabilities against documented requirements and performance specifications.

• Validate GPU-accelerated digital signal processing functions, including multi-channel direction finding, signal correlation, emitter characterization, and machine learning-based antenna calibration algorithms.

• Verify wide-band survey operations, signal classification, direction finding accuracy, and real-time signal processing performance across representative operational scenarios.

• Conduct RF performance assessments to ensure mission systems meet accuracy, responsiveness, and operational effectiveness requirements.

Field Testing & Operational Evaluation

• Plan and execute outdoor field testing activities involving live RF signal collection and operational system employment.

• Evaluate system performance under realistic environmental conditions, validating signal detection, geolocation accuracy, direction finding performance, and spectrum monitoring capabilities.

• Document environmental variables, test configurations, and operational conditions to ensure repeatable and defensible test results.

• Support customer demonstrations, operational assessments, and field validation events as required.

Test Documentation & Continuous Improvement

• Document test results, anomalies, defect reports, regression outcomes, and corrective actions with clear reproduction steps and supporting technical evidence.

• Maintain detailed testing records, quality documentation, and verification artifacts supporting system acceptance and product readiness reviews.

• Analyze test results and performance trends to identify reliability issues, software defects, integration risks, and opportunities for system improvement.

• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives by refining test methodologies, expanding automation coverage, and improving overall product quality and mission readiness.

• 3+ years of SDET or software QA engineering experience, ideally within defense, RF, or embedded systems domains

• Developed and maintained automated test suites using Python, Rust, or similar languages against REST or GraphQL APIs

• Written and executed test plans covering both functional and integration testing for complex, multi-component systems

• Performed field or outdoor hardware/software validation testing, with comfort operating in varied environments including vehicle-mounted or field-deployed configurations

• Worked with Linux-based systems (RHEL/Rocky or equivalent) and have familiarity with Docker containerized environments

• Tested or operated software-defined radio (SDR) systems or spectrum analysis tools

• Used defect tracking and test management tools (Jira, Gitlab) to manage test coverage and report quality metrics

• Collaborated within Agile/Scrum development teams alongside engineers, product owners, and program managers