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Software Validation Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Dexian

Validation Engineer

Folsom, CA · On-site

$70 - $75/hr

Perform validation, debug hardware/software issues, support platform design reviews, and mentor junior engineers. Requirements: BS in Electrical/Computer Engineering with 8-10 years of experience, or ...

Dexian DISYS

Validation Engineer

Folsom, CA · On-site

$70 - $75/hr

Perform validation, debug hardware/software issues, support platform design reviews, and mentor junior engineers. Requirements: BS in Electrical/Computer Engineering with 8-10 years of experience, or ...

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Software Validation Engineer information

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$10

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$97

How much do software validation engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 11, 2026, the average hourly pay for software validation engineer in California is $55.57, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $41.06 and $69.52 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How does a Software Validation Engineer typically collaborate with development and QA teams during a project?

As a Software Validation Engineer, you will work closely with both software development and quality assurance teams to ensure products meet rigorous standards before release. This often involves reviewing requirements, developing validation plans, and executing comprehensive test cases while providing feedback to developers on potential issues. Regular meetings and clear communication are key, as you'll need to coordinate schedules, share test results, and troubleshoot defects collaboratively. This cross-functional teamwork ensures any problems are addressed early, leading to a more robust final product.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Software Validation Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Software Validation Engineer, you typically need a background in computer science or engineering, strong analytical skills, and experience with software testing methodologies. Familiarity with automated testing tools (such as Selenium or Jenkins), scripting languages, and relevant certifications like ISTQB are commonly required. Attention to detail, problem-solving abilities, and effective communication are essential soft skills for collaborating across teams and identifying issues. These skills ensure software reliability, compliance with industry standards, and successful product releases.

What does a Software Validation Engineer do?

A Software Validation Engineer is responsible for ensuring that software applications meet specified requirements and function as intended. They design and execute tests, document results, and work closely with development teams to identify and resolve defects. Their work helps ensure software reliability, compliance with industry standards, and user satisfaction. Software Validation Engineers play a critical role in industries where quality and safety are paramount, such as healthcare, automotive, and aerospace.

What is the difference between Software Validation Engineer vs Software Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer?

AspectSoftware Validation EngineerSoftware Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer
Primary FocusVerifying that software meets specified requirements and functions correctly through validation processesEnsuring overall quality of software through testing, process audits, and quality standards
CertificationsOften holds certifications like ISTQB, CSTEOften holds certifications like ISTQB, CSQA
Work EnvironmentTypically in regulated industries like healthcare, aerospace, or automotiveCommon across various industries including tech, finance, and healthcare
Key ResponsibilitiesDeveloping validation protocols, executing validation tests, documenting complianceDesigning test plans, executing tests, identifying defects, process improvement

While both roles focus on software quality, the Software Validation Engineer emphasizes verifying that software meets specific requirements through validation, often in regulated industries. The Software QA Engineer has a broader scope, focusing on overall quality assurance and testing across diverse sectors.

What are popular job titles related to Software Validation Engineer jobs in California? For Software Validation Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Software Validation Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Software Validation Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Software Validation Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Software Validation Engineer job openings:
What are popular job titles related to Software Validation Engineer jobs in CA? For Software Validation Engineer jobs in CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Software Validation Engineer jobs near you

Software Engineer - Systems Validation Infrastructure

Zipline

South San Francisco, CA

$150K - $180K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, PTO

Posted 19 days ago

Job description

About Zipline

Zipline is the world's largest and most experienced drone delivery service. We are on a mission to serve all humans equally by ensuring access to food, medicine and essential goods anytime, anywhere. We design, build, and operate the world's largest autonomous logistics system, delivering critical supplies quickly and reliably. Today, Zipline operates on four continents, makes a delivery somewhere in the world every 30 seconds, and has completed millions of deliveries to date, including blood, vaccines, medical supplies, food, and retail products.

Our customers include the world's largest and most prominent healthcare systems, governments, retailers, restaurants and global businesses who rely on us to save lives, reduce emissions, increase economic opportunity, and provide delivery from point A to point B as fast as possible. The drone is only 15% of what we've built to enable seamless, reliable, global operations.

Our system strengthens supply chains, reduces congestion, and gives people time back. With more than 140 million commercial autonomous miles safely flown, Zipline is redefining access to healthcare, consumer products, and food across the globe.

We operate at a global scale and are looking for practical problem solvers who thrive on real-world challenges and rapid growth. Our team is motivated by building systems that have a direct, meaningful impact on people's lives and by scaling the future of logistics. We are seeking people who sculpt from first principles, enjoy facing adversity, and can do the impossible at record breaking speeds.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Zipline is looking for software engineers to build the tools and infrastructure that power our systems validation and flight test organizations. This team develops precise, efficient, and scalable software solutions used to validate aircraft and ground systems at every level.

Our work spans everything from integrating real avionics, sensors, actuators, and radios with high-fidelity simulated environments in bench-top Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) setups, to building applications that plan, orchestrate, and evaluate thousands of automated nominal and off-nominal real-world flight tests every day. This role directly impacts the speed, confidence, and quality of hardware and software development at Zipline.

In this role, you will develop a deep understanding of Zipline's end-to-end logistics system and work closely with cross-functional partners who rely on your tools to deliver reliable, flight-ready software. Most importantly, the systems you build will serve as the final line of defense before software and hardware is deployed globally to perform critical, real-world deliveries.

WHAT YOU'LL DO
  • Design, develop, and maintain HIL test infrastructure that integrates real aircraft hardware with simulated systems and environments.
  • Develop software tools, frameworks, and services to enable large-scale automated and semi-automated system validation.
  • Support a high-throughput flight test organization running thousands of daily tests, from targeted regression tests to rare off-nominal scenarios.
  • Write and maintain test software, drivers, and interfaces for embedded and Linux-based systems.
  • Support test framework architecture designs and improvements.
  • Debug complex validation failures spanning simulation, hardware, firmware, and application software
  • Collaborate with flight test engineers, systems engineers, avionics, autonomy and embedded software teams to define system-level validation strategies.
  • Improve test reliability, debuggability, and signal-to-noise as systems and test volume scale.
WHAT YOU'LL BRING
  • 4+ years of experience in software engineering for complex, hardware-backed, safety-critical systems.
  • Extensive experience in Python, specifically using test systems (e.g. pytest)
  • Experience testing Rust and/or C embedded systems.
  • Extensive experience working with CI/CD.
  • Experience developing and executing test plans for complex, safety critical, embedded and cloud software.
  • Strong problem-solving and ability to quickly learn a new system for testing purposes
What Else You Need to Know

The starting cash range for this role is $150,000 - 180,000. Please note that this is a target, starting cash range for a candidate who meets the minimum qualifications for this role. The final cash pay for this role will depend on a variety of factors, including a specific candidate's experience, qualifications, skills, working location, and projected impact. The total compensation package for this role may also include: equity compensation; discretionary annual or performance bonuses; sales incentives; benefits such as medical, dental and vision insurance; paid time off; and more.

Zipline is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion or religious creed, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship, or other characteristics protected by state, federal or local law or our other policies.

We value diversity at Zipline and welcome applications from those who are traditionally underrepresented in tech. If you like the sound of this position but are not sure if you are the perfect fit, please apply!