Sr Hardware Validation & Automation Engineer (Boston, MA (Hybrid), Hopkins, MN (Hybrid) or Mishawaka

About the role

SmartSense by Digi is seeking a Senior Hardware Validation & Automation Engineer to join our high-performing, tight-knit team. This unique hybrid role combines deep hardware expertise with strong automation skills to drive product quality across our IoT device portfolio.

Responsibilities

• Lead validation and verification activities for SmartSense IoT sensors, gateways, and connected monitoring devices across EVT, DVT, and PVT development phases.
• Execute smoke testing, regression testing, and system-level validation covering hardware platforms, firmware functionality, and system software behavior.
• Validate wireless connectivity technologies including BLE, Zigbee, LTE, Wi-Fi, GPS, and other IoT communication protocols.
• Perform device validation under real-world operating conditions: stress testing, soak testing, field testing, environmental testing, and long-term reliability testing.
• Investigate failures using hardware debugging tools (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, power analyzers), device logs, telemetry data, and data analysis; drive root cause analysis across hardware, firmware, and system layers.
• Review hardware designs and schematics produced by contract manufacturers, identifying potential validation risks and testability concerns early in the design cycle.
• Collaborate with contract manufacturers to support hardware validation, manufacturing test readiness, and system-level troubleshooting.
• Design, build, and maintain automated test frameworks and validation pipelines that test device behavior, connectivity, telemetry workflows, and system integrations.
• Develop hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test systems and automated device test rigs that enable scalable, repeatable validation.
• Build and maintain automated environments using Python (pytest), Docker, and CI/CD pipelines to integrate validation into engineering workflows.
• Own the automation strategy and roadmap, driving continuous improvement in test coverage, execution speed, and infrastructure reliability.
• Apply BDD testing approaches and structured validation methodologies to ensure comprehensive and traceable test coverage.

Technical Leadership & Collaboration

• Provide technical direction and structured guidance to the extended test engineering team, enabling more independent and effective execution.
• Work closely with hardware, firmware, software, and product teams to reproduce issues, verify fixes, and continuously improve system reliability.
• Ensure validation processes meet regulated and compliance-driven environment requirements, including traceability, documentation, and audit readiness.
• Document validation strategies, test results, hardware architecture insights, and design decisions to support scalable development practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience testing embedded systems, hardware platforms, or IoT devices.
• Strong hands-on hardware validation skills: schematic reading, PCB bring-up, and hardware debugging and measurement tools.
• Solid experience designing and maintaining automated test environments and validation pipelines.
• Proficiency in Python-based testing frameworks, including pytest, and experience with Docker and containerized test environments.
• Experience with CI/CD integration for automated testing pipelines.
• Experience developing hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) or automated device test systems.
• Experience testing integrated systems across hardware, firmware, and software — including IoT device connectivity, telemetry, and device-to-cloud communication.
• Experience supporting EVT/DVT/PVT development cycles and working closely with contract manufacturers.
• Strong analytical mindset with the ability to investigate complex system failures across multiple engineering layers.
• Clear communicator who can translate technical findings for cross-functional teams.

Who You Are and What You Bring

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience testing embedded systems, hardware platforms, or IoT devices.
• Strong hands-on hardware validation skills: schematic reading, PCB bring-up, and hardware debugging and measurement tools.
• Solid experience designing and maintaining automated test environments and validation pipelines.
• Proficiency in Python-based testing frameworks, including pytest, and experience with Docker and containerized test environments.
• Experience with CI/CD integration for automated testing pipelines.
• Experience developing hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) or automated device test systems.
• Experience testing integrated systems across hardware, firmware, and software — including IoT device connectivity, telemetry, and device-to-cloud communication.
• Experience supporting EVT/DVT/PVT development cycles and working closely with contract manufacturers.
• Strong analytical mindset with the ability to investigate complex system failures across multiple engineering layers.
• Clear communicator who can translate technical findings for cross-functional teams.