Systems Software Test Engineer
At a glance
Mid-level QA & Test role at Taara. Sunnyvale · full-time · $160,000–$210,000 base.
techroles summary, based on the employer's posting.
What you'll do
- Build automation frameworks to test embedded software alongside cloud integrations
- Set up hardware-in-the-loop benches that expose real-time software to physical devices and simulated field conditions
- Wire automated tests into the CI/CD pipeline, with quality checks for each build
- Trace the data path from optical link to monitoring dashboard with cloud and embedded teams
- Create regression tests for network throughput, latency, and system stability
What you bring
- At least four years in software testing, QA automation, or system validation
- Strong Python skills for writing automated test scripts
- Hands-on use of GitHub Actions, Jenkins, or GitLab CI to trigger tests and report results
- Experience testing software on physical devices or in simulations, plus knowledge of TCP/IP, Ethernet, VLANs, Wireshark, and iPerf
Who this fits
This role suits a mid-level test engineer who can work across embedded software, cloud systems, and physical hardware. You’ll work from the Sunnyvale office at least three days each week.
From the employer
About the Team
Born at X, Google's Moonshot Factory, Taara is on a mission to connect billions of people lacking abundant and affordable internet today by pioneering the way we use light to deliver faster, cheaper, more reliable connectivity. Join us to ensure the reliability of our groundbreaking wireless optical communication and photonics chip technologies as we scale across the world.
About the Role
Taara is looking for a Systems Software Test Engineer to lead the automation and validation of our end-to-end systems. This isn't just about testing APIs; you will be responsible for building the frameworks that validate how our software controls high-precision hardware in real-time. You will bridge the gap between software development and hardware reliability, ensuring that every code commit improves our network's stability in the field.
How you will make 10x impact:
Architect Automated Frameworks: Design and build scalable automation frameworks from the ground up to test embedded software and cloud integrations.
Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL): Develop and maintain HIL test benches where real-time software meets physical hardware units, simulating complex field conditions.
CI/CD Integration: Own the integration of automated tests into the CI/CD pipeline, ensuring high-quality gates for every build.
End-to-End Validation: Work with both the Cloud and Embedded teams to validate the entire data path—from the physical optical link to the backend monitoring dashboard.
Regression & Performance: Create automated regression suites that catch performance regressions in network throughput, latency, and system stability.
What you should have:
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
Experience: 4+ years of experience in software testing, QA automation, or system validation.
Test Automation: Strong proficiency in Python for test script development and automation.
CI/CD Mastery: Hands-on experience with GitHub Actions, Jenkins, or GitLab CI, focusing on automated trigger systems and reporting.
Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL): Proven experience testing software on physical devices or using simulation environments (e.g., Raspberry Pis, custom PCBs, or networking gear).
Networking Fundamentals: Good understanding of networking protocols (TCP/IP, Ethernet, VLANs) and tools (Wireshark, iPerf).
Location: Ability to work in the Sunnyvale office at least 3 days per week.
It would be great if you also had these:
Telecom/ISP Background: Experience with network management protocols like gRPC, and SNMP.
Physical Layer Testing: Experience with optical sensors, motors, or wireless communication testing.
Infrastructure as Code: Experience using Docker/Kubernetes to containerize test environments.
Data Analysis: Ability to use SQL or Python (Pandas/NumPy) to analyze large sets of telemetry data from field tests.
Creative Breaking: A passion for finding "edge cases" (pun intended) where weather or physical movement might affect software performance.
The US base salary range for this full-time position is $160,000-$210,000 + bonus + equity + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.
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