Software Development Engineer in Test

Job description

WHAT WE DO Gecko Robotics is helping the world’s most important organizations ensure the availability, reliability, and sustainability of critical infrastructure. Gecko's complete and connected solutions combine wall-climbing robots, industry-leading sensors, and an AI-powered data platform to provide customers with a unique window into the current and future health of their physical assets. This enables real-time decision making to increase the efficiency and safety of operations, promote mission readiness, and protect the environment and civilization from the effects of infrastructure failure. ROLE AT A GLANCE We are hiring a Software Development Engineer in Test focused on building and scaling automated testing systems for our robotics platform. This role is responsible for ensuring software quality through robust regression testing, automation frameworks, and effective debugging across software and hardware boundaries. You will work closely with software, robotics, and product teams to improve test coverage, reliability, and release confidence. This is a hands-on role ideal for an engineer who enjoys building testing infrastructure, solving complex bugs, and working on systems that operate in real-world environments. You’ll have the opportunity to work directly with advanced robotic systems and novel inspection technologies deployed on critical infrastructure, with clear visibility into the real-world impact of your work in the field. This role includes up to 25% travel to customer sites and operational environments (e.g., San Diego, Seattle, and other field locations). WHAT YOU WILL DO - Build, maintain, and scale automated regression testing frameworks for critical system functionalities - Define test strategies and coverage for new features, balancing speed, reliability, and risk to support high-confidence deployments - Design and execute tests across UI, robotic interactions, and sensor-driven workflows to validate real-world system behavior - Investigate and triage issues across software, firmware, and hardware boundaries, driving timely root cause identification and resolution - Use logs, metrics, and system data to diagnose issues in both test and field environments - Analyze test results, identify patterns, and surface actionable insights to improve product quality and reliability - Partner with software, robotics, and product teams to improve test coverage, system performance, and release confidence - Own testing infrastructure and quality outcomes for key components of the system - Contribute to the continuous improvement of testing tools, processes, and best practices - Participate in field deployments and testing as needed, supporting validation and debugging in real-world environments Technologies We Use - Test automation and framework development (e.g., Selenium, pytest, JUnit) - Programming and scripting (primarily Python, with some Java) - CI/CD and release validation (e.g., GitHub Actions, Jenkins) - Software systems with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) - Debugging and observability (logs, metrics, system-level diagnostics) - Familiarity with packaging, distribution, and delivery frameworks (docker, react, electron, pyinstaller) ABOUT YOU: Required Skills - Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent practical experience) - 5+ years of experience in software testing, quality assurance, or test automation - Proficiency in at least one programming language (Python, Java) - Experience with test automation frameworks (e.g., Selenium, JUnit, or similar) - Strong debugging, analytical, and problem-solving skills - Willingness to travel (up to 25%) to support field testing and customer deployments - Strong written and verbal English communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across teams with varied technical backgrounds Preferred Skills - Experience building and scaling automated testing systems in complex or hardware-integrated environments - Experience with CI/CD systems and automated testing pipelines - Experience working with robotics, sensor data, or autonomous systems WHO WE ARE At Gecko, our people are our greatest investment. In addition to competitive compensation packages, we offer company equity, 401(k) matching, gender-neutral parental leave, full medical, dental, and vision insurance, mental health, ongoing professional development, family planning assistance, and flexible paid time off. Gecko values collaboration, innovation, and partnership, and we believe we do our best work when we're together in person. We’re an office-first culture but understand that sometimes you may need to work from home. Many people are in the office five days a week, others need a bit more flexibility. Ultimately, we care about the outcomes we achieve - and creating a culture of autonomy and trust that enables that impact. Gecko is committed to creating a culture of inclusion and belonging, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We believe it is our collective responsibility to uphold these values and encourage candidates from all backgrounds to join us in our mission to protect today’s infrastructure and give form to tomorrow’s. All qualified applicants will be treated with respect and receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, uniform service, veteran status, age, or any other protected characteristic per federal, state, or local law. If you are passionate about what you do and want to use your talents to support our critical mission, we’d love to hear from you.