Staff Systems Test Engineer

Staff Systems Test Engineer

Agility Robotics is a pioneer. Our robot, Digit, is the first to be sold into workplaces across the globe. Our team is differentiated by its expertise in imagining, engineering, and delivering robots with advanced mobility, dexterity, intelligence, and efficiency -- robots specifically designed to work alongside people, in spaces built for people. Every day, we break through engineering challenges and invent new solutions and capabilities that will one day make robots commonplace and approachable. This work is our passion and our responsibility: our mission is to make businesses more productive and people's lives more fulfilling.

About the Role

As a Staff/Senior Staff System Validation Engineer at Agility Robotics, you'll own the end-to-end verification and validation of our fully integrated humanoid robot system. Once the robot is assembled as a complete system, you'll be responsible for developing, executing, troubleshooting, and reporting on comprehensive system-level test plans that validate the robot meets all requirements for product acceptance. You'll serve as the critical bridge between Systems Engineering and Product Management, ensuring that what we build actually works as intended in real-world customer environments.

This role is ideal for a hands-on technical leader with deep V&V expertise in complex electromechanical systems, particularly safety-critical robotics. You'll establish validation strategies, execute rigorous testing, analyze system performance, and present findings to Product Management for go/no-go decisions on product releases.

Key Responsibilities

1. Develop and execute comprehensive system-level V&V strategies and test plans for fully integrated humanoid robots, partnering with Systems Engineering to translate requirements into testable validation criteria with clear pass/fail metrics and traceability
2. Design and execute end-to-end system validation tests including full-body manipulation and locomotion, human-robot interaction, safety systems, environmental/operational scenarios, performance validation (speed, payload, accuracy, repeatability), and edge case/failure mode testing
3. Lead functional safety verification and validation activities ensuring compliance with ISO standards, including HARA validation, safety-critical function testing, fault injection, and Safety Integrity Level (SIL) or Performance Level (PL) verification
4. Develop automated test frameworks, scripts, and infrastructure (fixtures, instrumentation, data acquisition) to enable repeatable, scalable validation across the robot lifecycle
5. Troubleshoot and diagnose system-level failures, leading cross-functional debug sessions across ME, EE, Software, and Controls teams to identify root causes, document failure modes, and drive issue resolution through to verification
6. Prepare and present comprehensive validation reports, test results, risk assessments, and go/no-go recommendations to Product Management and executive stakeholders for product acceptance decisions
7. Establish product readiness criteria, quality metrics, and test coverage tracking while driving continuous improvement of V&V processes, tools, and automation to scale with product development

Required Qualifications

Experience

• Staff Level: 10+ years of system-level verification and validation experience in robotics, autonomous systems, automotive, aerospace, or similar complex electromechanical systems
• Proven track record leading end-to-end system validation for products that shipped to customers
• Experience with safety-critical system validation and functional safety standards (ISO 13849, IEC 61508, ISO 26262, or similar)
• Hands-on experience testing complex robotic systems, including manipulation and locomotion
• Experience in fast-paced product development environments balancing rigor with speed

Technical Skills

• V&V Expertise: Deep understanding of verification vs. validation, V-model processes, test design techniques, and requirements traceability
• Functional Safety V&V: Hands-on experience validating safety-critical systems, including HARA validation, safety function testing, and fault injection testing
• Robotics Fundamentals: Strong understanding of kinematics, dynamics, control systems, sensing, and actuation to effectively test robotic systems
• Test Automation: Proficiency in Python, C++, or similar languages for developing automated test frameworks
• Test Infrastructure: Experience designing test fixtures, instrumentation, and data acquisition systems
• Troubleshooting: Expert-level debugging skills across hardware-software integration issues in complex systems

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (MS/PhD) in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field
• Experience with humanoid robots, legged robots, or high-DOF manipulation systems
• Functional Safety certification (TÜV Functional Safety Engineer or similar)
• Experience with certification/regulatory processes for robots in industrial environments
• Background in Design for Test (DFT) or Design for Validation (DFV) influencing product architecture
• Experience with Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) or Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) testing
• Knowledge of statistical test design and Design of Experiments (DOE) methods
• Experience mentoring or leading test engineering teams