Senior Software Quality Engineer - QGC & Tool Automation

Performance Drone Works (PDW) is building the next generation of tactical robotic systems used across defense, national security, and public safety missions. We are building a new center of engineering excellence to design our new category of tactical robotic systems and the industrial capacity to deliver them, bringing decisive airpower into the hands of every operator. We are not here to make promises;

we are here to deliver real systems with real capabilities for real missions. You will join a team of operators, engineers, and builders who solve hard problems with humility and focus. We design and produce multi-mission aerial systems that operators trust to perform in real-world conditions, reliably, repeatedly, and  approach is grounded in operator-centered design, rapid iteration from field use, and U.S.

-based manufacturing. We operate by a clear set of values:
Mission First, Aim Farther, Own It, Win Together. This is how we build advantage and how we help protect our service members, our communities, and our country.

Now, we’re entering a new phase of growth and are looking for a/an Senior Software Quality Engineer – QGC & Tool Automation to establish and expand test automation for QGround

Control (QGC), controller software, and supporting ground-side tools across Linux and Android environments. You will develop maintainable frameworks, automate repeatable validation, and reduce dependence on manual testing as automated coverage becomes reliable and sufficient. You will own the automation architecture and technical roadmap for this workstream, with priorities established in partnership with SQA leadership and the responsible engineering teams.

• Establish and execute the automation roadmap for QGC, controller software, and supporting ground-side tools, prioritizing work with SQA leadership based on product risk, release needs, manual effort, and opportunities for reuse.
• Design, develop, and maintain automated test frameworks and regression suites for Qt/QML applications and associated workflows across Linux and Android environments.
• Automate validation of platform utilities, radio configuration, and controller setup workflows, including error handling, recovery, and verification of the resulting system state
• Validate complete ground-side workflows across application interfaces, command-line tools, APIs, vehicle communications, and connected hardware as applicable.
• Integrate automated tests into CI/CD workflows, including environment setup, configuration control, results reporting, and collection of logs and other diagnostic artifacts.
• Partner with developers to define acceptance criteria, identify quality risks, and improve application testability and diagnostic capabilities.
• Investigate failures using application logs, telemetry, system parameters, and communication traces; reproduce defects and support root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Maintain test plans, test cases, validation procedures, and traceability between requirements, tests, and results. Communicate coverage gaps, defects, residual risks, and release-readiness recommendations.
• Provide technical guidance, review automation code, and mentor engineers in test design, software development practices, and effective use of shared frameworks.

• 8+ years of hands-on experience in software quality engineering, test automation, software development, or embedded/robotic system validation, including independent ownership of complex automation initiatives.
• Strong Python software development skills, including modular design, automated testing, dependency management, code review, and maintenance of shared tools or frameworks.
• Experience testing Qt/QML…