Systems Software Test Lead - Robotics

ALTEN

$150K — $190K *
Technical Services
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or a related technical field; Master's degree preferred.
  • 10+ years of experience in systems engineering, software integration, or test leadership, specifically in robotics or autonomous systems.
  • Proven track record in leading system-level software integration and test strategy for robotics or autonomy.
  • Strong understanding of robotics software architectures, including key areas like motion planning and control systems.
  • Experience operating as a Test Lead, facilitating team execution rather than performing all tasks individually.
  • Hands-on experience diagnosing system-level software issues across integrated stacks.
  • Proficient in scripting (e.g., Python) for automation and debugging.

Responsibilities

  • Lead system-level verification and validation of robotics software systems.
  • Define and own end-to-end integration and test strategies for software stacks.
  • Develop comprehensive test plans for autonomous behaviors and capabilities.
  • Provide technical leadership to distributed validation teams, ensuring effective execution of test plans.
  • Operate independently to identify gaps in test coverage and manage system readiness throughout the integration phase.
  • Collaborate with software engineers to assess system performance across critical domains.
  • Lead system integration efforts ensuring correct interaction between software components.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health insurance options.
  • Retirement plan with company matching contributions.
  • Generous paid time off policy.
  • Professional development opportunities and training programs.
  • Flexible work arrangements or remote work options.
Full Job Description
As Systems Software Test Lead you will be responsible for;
  • Lead system-level verification and validation of robotics software systems, including autonomy, perception, motion planning, and controls integration.
  • Define and own end-to-end system integration and test strategies for robotics software stacks, ensuring validation of complex, multi-service capabilities across platforms.
  • Develop comprehensive test plans and validation frameworks for autonomous system behaviors, including trajectory generation, navigation, and mission-level functionality.
  • Provide technical leadership to distributed test and software validation teams, enabling execution of test plans and ensuring coverage, quality, and traceability.
  • Operate with a high degree of autonomy to identify gaps in test coverage, resolve ambiguity, and drive readiness across integration and validation phases.
  • Collaborate closely with robotics software engineers to validate system performance across key domains such as motion planning, path optimization, localization, and control systems.
  • Lead system integration efforts across software services, APIs, and middleware layers, ensuring correct interaction between perception, planning, and execution components.
  • Analyze system behavior and debug software integration issues, identifying root causes across distributed services and real-time system components.
  • Utilize scripting (e.g., Python) to support test automation, log analysis, simulation validation, and debugging of robotic system behavior.
  • Validate robotics software in lab or simulated environments, including running integrated systems, executing scenarios, and measuring performance against KPIs.
  • Support testing and observability of cloud-connected or distributed robotics systems, including familiarity with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS) for data capture, diagnostics, and system monitoring.
  • Incorporate system-level risks and failure modes into validation strategies, ensuring robust coverage for edge cases and real-world operating conditions.
  • Contribute to development of scalable, repeatable test frameworks and processes for robotics software validation.
  • Maintain alignment between requirements, system architecture, and validation coverage using systems engineering and/or MBSE practices.
  • Communicate system readiness, risks, and validation results clearly to engineering leadership and program stakeholders.


Qualifications;
  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or related technical field; Master's degree preferred.
  • 10+ years of experience in systems engineering, software integration, or test leadership focused on robotics, autonomy, or complex distributed software systems.
  • Proven experience leading system-level software integration and test strategy for robotics or autonomous systems.
  • Strong understanding of robotics software architectures, including motion planning, navigation, control systems, and distributed service-based design.
  • Experience operating as a Test Lead, enabling execution through teams rather than individually performing all testing tasks.
  • Hands-on experience debugging system-level software issues across integrated stacks (perception, planning, control, infrastructure).
  • Proficiency in scripting (e.g., Python) for test automation, data analysis, and system debugging.
  • Experience working with cloud-integrated robotics or distributed systems (AWS or similar platforms).
  • Strong understanding of requirements traceability, system validation, and full lifecycle testing.
  • Experience working in Agile development environments supporting multi-team software delivery.
  • Ability to operate independently in fast-paced, high-ambiguity environments while driving technical outcomes.
  • Strong communication skills with ability to guide engineers and test teams across disciplines.


Preferred Qualifications;
  • Experience with autonomous mobile robots, robotic manipulation systems, or industrial automation platforms.
  • Familiarity with simulation environments, digital twins, or robotics testing frameworks.
  • Experience validating AI/ML-enabled robotic behaviors (perception, decision-making, optimization).
  • Exposure to middleware or robotics frameworks (e.g., ROS/ROS2 or similar architectures).
  • Background in large-scale, multi-team robotics software programs.


Salary Range: $150,000 - $190,000

Location: Onsite in North Reading, MA

The actual salary offered is dependent on various factors including, but not limited to, location, the candidate's combination of job-related knowledge, qualifications, skills, education, training, and experience

Please beware of job seeker scams and see this important notice on our careers page for more information about our recruiting process.

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