Senior Manager, Systems Test

Job summary:
We are seeking a Senior Manager, Systems Test to own Apptronik’s systems test team, the group responsible for validating our integrated humanoid robots at the system level before they reach customers. This is a hands-on leadership role: you will receive software and hardware from engineering and test it as the customer would, build the manual and automated tests and the robotic fixtures that make humanoid testing repeatable, and run the release process as the final line of defense.
You will lead and grow the team, set test strategy, and drive defects from discovery through reproduction and handoff to the responsible teams. You will be accountable for escapes to the customer, and for the corrective actions that keep them from happening again.
Responsibilities:
- Team Leadership: Build, lead, and grow the systems test team. Set priorities, hire and mentor engineers, and own the team’s roadmap and results.
- System-Level Testing: Receive software and hardware from engineering and test at the system level as the customer would, covering end-to-end scenarios on the integrated humanoid.
- Test Development: Create manual and automated tests, and maintain the test plans, coverage, and pass/fail criteria that define release quality.
- Robotic Test Fixtures & Automation: Design and build robotic fixtures and automation infrastructure for humanoid testing, so tests run repeatably without human intervention.
- Bug Reporting & Reproduction: Find defects, reproduce them reliably, and feed them back to the responsible teams with clear, actionable evidence. Track each to resolution.
- Release Ownership: Run the release process and serve as the final line of defense before software and hardware reach customers. Own escapes to the customer and drive the corrective actions that prevent repeats.
- Cross-Functional Reporting: Communicate test results, quality risks, and release readiness clearly to engineering and program leadership.
Required qualifications:
- Experience leading a test or QA team for complex electromechanical, robotic, or embedded systems, including hiring, mentoring, and performance management.
- Hands-on experience designing and executing system-level tests, both manual and automated, on integrated hardware and software products.
- Experience building automated test infrastructure and fixtures, including robotic or electromechanical rigs, and proficiency in Python for test automation and data analysis.
- Demonstrated ownership of a release process or ship decision, including accountability for customer-reported escapes and the corrective actions that follow.
- Strong cross-disciplinary debugging ability across mechanical, electrical, firmware, and software, with the discipline to reproduce complex issues and document them for the owning teams.
- Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, mechanical drawings, and requirements specifications.
Education/Qualifications:
- BS in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, or related field + 8 years of relevant experience including 2 years leading a team, OR MS in related field + 6 years of relevant experience including 2 years leading a team.
- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
- Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times.
- Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen.
- Hearing and speech to communicate.