Software Test Architect

Description

For over five decades, Leidos has been pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in space—designing and deploying sensor payloads that deliver critical information for national security. These systems operate where failure isn’t an option, turning raw signals into actionable insight in real time.

We’re looking for a Software Test Architect to help validate the next generation of space sensing technologies. You’ll work at the intersection of software, hardware, and simulation—building the test architectures that ensure our systems perform flawlessly, whether in a lab environment or thousands of miles above the planet.

We are seeking a Software Test Architect to lead development of tools and processes for testing embedded and hardware-integrated software systems. This role is responsible for defining scalable test architectures, enabling test-driven development, and ensuring robust validation across software, firmware, and hardware interfaces. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in testing complex systems that span software and physical devices, with a strong emphasis on automation, simulation, and system reliability.

• Define and implement test architecture and strategy for embedded and hardware-integrated systems
• Design and scale automated test frameworks for validating software interacting with hardware components
• Develop and promote simulation and emulation strategies (e.g., hardware‑in‑the‑loop, software‑in‑the‑loop)
• Establish, using commercially available tools, test environments that replicate real‑world device behavior and edge conditions
• Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines, including regression testing
• Drive risk‑based and system‑level testing across firmware, APIs, and user‑facing applications
• Partner with hardware, firmware, and software teams to ensure end‑to‑end validation
• Lead efforts in test data management, observability, and failure analysis
• Mentor engineers and establish best practices for embedded and systems testing

• 8–12+ years of experience in software testing or quality engineering, with exposure to embedded or hardware‑integrated systems
• Strong experience designing test strategies and automation frameworks
• Hands‑on experience with automation tools and scripting, particularly those related to automated testing (e.g., Pytest, JUnit, testing frameworks, Gherkin, Cucumber or similar)
• Experience testing APIs, system interfaces, and distributed components
• Experience developing and using CI/CD pipelines and automated quality gates
• Understanding of system‑level testing concepts, including integration, regression, and reliability testing
• Experience working in Agile or iterative development environments
• Must be eligible to obtain a Secret level security clearance.

• Experience with embedded systems, firmware testing, or hardware/software integration
• Familiarity with hardware simulation/emulation environments (Hardware‑in‑the‑loop, Software‑in‑the‑loop, device simulators or virtual test environments)
• Experience validating real‑time or event‑driven systems
• Experience in Behavior‑Driven Development (BDD) and Test‑Driven Development (TDD)
• Background in robotics, IoT, medical devices, or other hardware‑integrated domains with critical safety and security requirements
• Experience with test automation for physical devices (e.g., device orchestration, sensor validation)
• Familiarity with cloud‑based test infrastructure and remote device testing
• Experience leading or mentoring QA teams

• A systems thinker who understands interactions between software, firmware, and hardware
• A hands‑on architect who can design strategy and contribute technically
• Someone who can translate real‑world device behavior into scalable test environments
• Strong collaborator across hardware, firmware, software, and systems engineering teams
• A focus on automation, reliability, and continuous improvement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.