Manager, Test Operations

Apptronik•Austin, TX

23h

About The Position

Apptronik is seeking a hands-on technical leader to manage test operations for its advanced humanoid robots. The role leads development, maintenance, and scaling of integrated hardware and software solutions for manufacturing and validation testing across robot subsystems. It works with test and validation engineers, systems engineers, firmware developers, manufacturing, and operations teams to support products from early new product introduction through production ramp. The position focuses on test automation, systems integration, and manufacturing support in a fast-paced robotics environment. The manager leads manufacturing test development for PCBAs, actuators, cable harnesses, electromechanical subassemblies, and full robot systems. The role establishes scalable test frameworks, automated functional tests, hardware validation tools, diagnostic utilities, and interfaces between test software and hardware. It is accountable for reliable, maintainable, consistently deployed test processes and for integrating embedded systems, firmware interfaces, sensors and actuators, motion control, and data acquisition hardware. The role also sets technical direction for hardware bring-up, debugging, troubleshooting, and communications issues; promotes product testability and manufacturability; and drives test-organization best practices. It maintains test documentation, procedures, and architecture diagrams and implements code reviews and software release processes, including CI/CD. Manufacturing operations support includes creating processes and metrics to support internal operations and contract manufacturers, resolve production test issues while minimizing downtime, and define test requirements and workflows for future products. Travel to manufacturing sites of up to 20% is expected.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or a related field.
At least 5 years of experience leading complex electromechanical system test development for automated manufacturing systems.
Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills, including ability to represent the team to senior leadership and customers.
Proven technical leadership, including leading engineers and owning delivery of complex, cross-disciplinary systems.
Formal people-management experience, including hiring, developing, and directing a team.
Willingness to travel to manufacturing sites, up to 20%.
Experience leading teams engaged with embedded systems, hardware/software integration, serial communication protocols, and networked systems.
Familiarity with modern software development practices, including Git, code reviews, CI/CD workflows, and issue-tracking systems such as Jira or similar.
Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills with complex electromechanical systems.
Comfort working in fast-paced and evolving environments.

Nice To Haves

Experience in robotics, aerospace, automotive, or similar electromechanical systems.
Experience with communication protocols such as ROS/ROS2, EtherCAT, CAN, or RS485.
Experience with manufacturing databases, MES systems, or traceability systems.
Experience developing scalable architectures for test infrastructure.
Familiarity with Linux-based development environments.
Experience with automated data analysis and reporting tools.
Experience supporting contract manufacturers or production environments.
Experience using AI-assisted software development tools and workflows.

Responsibilities

Lead the team deploying manufacturing test software and hardware for PCBAs, actuators, cable harnesses, electromechanical subassemblies, and full robot system testing.
Ensure the team develops scalable, modular test frameworks for use across multiple test stations and product lines.
Direct delivery of automated functional tests, hardware validation tools, and diagnostic utilities for the manufacturing floor.
Establish criteria for APIs and interfaces between test software and hardware systems.
Own test process reliability, maintainability, and deployment consistency across manufacturing environments.
Champion integration of embedded systems, firmware interfaces, sensors and actuators, motion control systems, and data acquisition hardware.
Establish technical direction for hardware bring-up, debugging, troubleshooting, and communication issues in manufacturing environments.
Collaborate with test and validation engineering teams to promote product testability and manufacturability.
Drive best practices and process improvements within the test organization.
Ensure test documentation, procedures, and architecture diagrams are maintained.
Implement code reviews and software release processes, including CI/CD.
Deliver processes and key metrics that provide actionable data for manufacturing operations and contract manufacturers.
Support deployment, maintenance, and troubleshooting of manufacturing test stations at internal operations and contract manufacturers.
Support changing production ramps and resolve manufacturing test issues to minimize downtime.
Propose manufacturing test requirements and workflows for future products.
Hire, develop, and direct a team of engineers.
Travel to manufacturing sites, up to 20%.