Senior Test Engineer (Hardware Automation QA)

About The Role

As our device QA / Test Engineer, you'll be the backbone of reliability for Drover products. Our device has to survive years in a field environment: sun, rain, mud, dust, cattle behavior. All while running solar power management, low-power GPS, cellular and satellite radios, embedded sensing, and our muscle-stimulation actuation system. Every one of those subsystems needs to be tested to a standard that lets us ship with confidence.

This is a high-ownership role at an early-stage company: you'll design test plans, build fixtures, run environmental and reliability testing, and report results almost from day one, with the opportunity to build and lead a test/quality function as we scale.

What You'll Do

• Own the test strategy for the Drover ear tag, from component-level verification through full-unit environmental and reliability testing
• Help design and manage environmental and reliability tests — thermal cycling, ingress (IP-rating), UV/solar exposure, tumble, impact/drop, vibration, and accelerated life testing (e.g. HALT)
• Build bespoke test rigs, fixtures, and data acquisition setups to automate and scale testing across hundreds of units
• Write test plans that trace directly back to product and reliability requirements, and deliver clear pass/fail evidence to engineering leadership
• Partner with hardware, firmware, and our contract manufacturer to catch failure modes early, rather than at end-of-line
• Maintain calibration records, test versioning, and full traceability across procedures and equipment
• Analyze test data and turn it into clear, actionable recommendations for design and manufacturing decisions
• Help stand up quality processes and test infrastructure that scale as we move from seed-stage prototypes to commercial production volume
• Help with early customer support to resolve early issues, high willingness to put on boots and travel out to ranchers to help debug

Requirements

• Meaningful experience in hardware/device test engineering, QA, or reliability validation for physical products (IoT, ruggedized consumer electronics, wearables, automotive, or similar)
• Experience building test automation, fixtures, or DAQ/instrumentation systems from scratch
• Comfortable working with ambiguity and building process at an early-stage startup
• Strong data analysis and reporting skills — you can turn raw test data into a clear ship/no-ship recommendation
• Willing to work in-person in Austin

Nice To Have

• Experience testing battery/solar-powered or low-power embedded devices
• Hands-on experience designing and executing environmental/reliability stress tests and understanding the underlying failure physics, not just running a checklist
• Experience with cellular, GPS, or satellite-connected hardware
• Experience with actuator, motor, or stimulation-based hardware systems
• Background working directly with contract manufacturers on DVT/PVT/MP builds

Note: Even if you don't have all of the above and still think you're an excellent candidate, please reach out. We're always open to great people with core skillsets who are willing to push and learn.

Benefits

• Meaningful equity package with a high trajectory start-up
• Health, dental, vision insurance
• Paid family and medical leave
• Unlimited PTO
• Collaborative environment with emphasis on strong team culture
• Ownership and responsibility

Compensation

$120K - $145K