Contract Test Engineer Jobs in Austin, TX (NOW HIRING)

JOB SUMMARY

Apptronik is seeking a Robotics Test Engineer to join the Software Integration & Test (RSIT) team. In this role, you will write the automated tests that verify Apollo's software at the integration layer, partner with senior engineers on defect investigations, and help grow the regression coverage that keeps each release safer than the last. You will work hands-on with our pytest-based test infrastructure, HIL benches, and the broader RSIT platform to turn software-level requirements into verifiable tests. This is a role designed for someone who wants to grow into deep expertise in robotics test engineering, with mentorship from senior teammates and meaningful ownership of test suites from day one.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES or KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Test Authoring: Write automated integration, contract, and ICD conformance tests in pytest against software-level requirements, with clear pass/fail signals that feed the release gate.
• Defect Investigation: Partner with senior engineers on root-cause investigations for CI failures, escaped defects, and stochastic issues, building familiarity with debugging tools (sanitizers, log analysis, MCAP playback) over time.
• Regression Coverage: Convert defects into permanent regression tests, ensuring every escape becomes a new automated check in the gate.
• HIL Test Execution: Run and maintain test suites on hardware-in-the-loop benches, capture data, and report results into the team's dashboards and result reporting systems.
• Test Suite Maintenance: Keep existing test suites healthy: triage flaky tests, update fixtures as the stack evolves, and improve readability and reliability of test code.
• Requirements Engagement: Read software-level requirements and Systems Validation plans, ask clarifying questions, and surface ambiguity or untestable language to senior teammates and Systems Engineering.
• Tooling Feedback: Serve as an active customer of the RSIT platform, surfacing friction in CI, dashboards, or release tooling so the Release & Integration team can improve developer experience.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with stack engineers, firmware engineers, and senior RSIT teammates to understand the systems being tested and produce verification that reflects how those systems actually behave.

SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS

• Programming: Working proficiency in Python, including ability to write clean, maintainable test code and small utility scripts. Comfort reading C++ to understand the systems under test.
• Test Frameworks: Hands-on experience with pytest or an equivalent framework (unit test, Google Test, JUnit), including fixtures, parameterization, and test organization.
• Linux Comfort: Day-to-day fluency on the Linux command line, including basic system, log inspection, file system navigation, and shell scripting.
• Version Control: Solid Git fundamentals, including branching, pull requests, and code review participation.
• Debugging Mindset: Demonstrated curiosity and persistence in tracking down bugs, including willingness to read code in unfamiliar parts of the stack to understand a failure.
• Communication: Ability to write clear bug reports, test documentation, and pull request descriptions. Comfort asking questions and surfacing blockers early.
• Learning Orientation: Eagerness to grow into deeper expertise in robotics, real-time systems, and verification engineering through mentorship, code review, and hands-on work.
• Preferred Qualifications:
• Exposure to ROS or ROS2.
• Experience with CI/CD systems (Bitbucket Pipelines, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, or similar) as a user.
• Familiarity with hardware-in-the-loop testing or other forms of hardware-integrated software verification.
• Experience with observability tools (Grafana, Loki, Prometheus) as a consumer of dashboards and logs.
• Background in robotics, autonomous systems, aerospace, or another hardware-integrated domain through coursework, internships, or prior roles.
• Familiarity with sanitizer tooling (ASan, TSan, UBSan) or other dynamic analysis approaches.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or a related technical field.
• 2-4 years of professional experience in software development, test engineering, or a related discipline. Strong internship and project experience may substitute for a portion of this requirement.
• Experience writing or maintaining automated tests in a production codebase is strongly preferred.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times
• Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen
• Hearing and speech to communicate