Senior Test Engineer (Hardware Automation QA)
About The Position
Drover is seeking a Senior Test Engineer to be the backbone of reliability for their innovative virtual fencing ear tag for cattle. This role involves designing test plans, building fixtures, conducting environmental and reliability testing, and reporting results. The engineer will play a crucial part in ensuring the device can withstand harsh field conditions while functioning correctly. This is a high-ownership role at an early-stage company with the opportunity to build and lead a test/quality function as the company scales. The ear tag integrates low-power GPS, cellular and satellite connectivity, embedded sensing, solar power management, and a unique muscle stimulation system. The company is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and is preparing for commercial launch in Q1 2027 after closing an oversubscribed seed round.
Requirements
- Meaningful experience in hardware/device test engineering, QA, or reliability validation for physical products (IoT, ruggedized consumer electronics, wearables, automotive, or similar).
- Experience building test automation, fixtures, or DAQ/instrumentation systems from scratch.
- Comfortable working with ambiguity and building process at an early-stage startup.
- Strong data analysis and reporting skills — you can turn raw test data into a clear ship/no-ship recommendation.
- Willing to work in-person in Austin.
Nice To Haves
- Experience testing battery/solar-powered or low-power embedded devices.
- Hands-on experience designing and executing environmental/reliability stress tests and understanding the underlying failure physics, not just running a checklist.
- Experience with cellular, GPS, or satellite-connected hardware.
- Experience with actuator, motor, or stimulation-based hardware systems.
- Background working directly with contract manufacturers on DVT/PVT/MP builds.
Responsibilities
- Own the test strategy for the Drover ear tag, from component-level verification through full-unit environmental and reliability testing.
- Help design and manage environmental and reliability tests — thermal cycling, ingress (IP-rating), UV/solar exposure, tumble, impact/drop, vibration, and accelerated life testing (e.g. HALT).
- Build bespoke test rigs, fixtures, and data acquisition setups to automate and scale testing across hundreds of units.
- Write test plans that trace directly back to product and reliability requirements, and deliver clear pass/fail evidence to engineering leadership.
- Partner with hardware, firmware, and our contract manufacturer to catch failure modes early, rather than at end-of-line.
- Maintain calibration records, test versioning, and full traceability across procedures and equipment.
- Analyze test data and turn it into clear, actionable recommendations for design and manufacturing decisions.
- Help stand up quality processes and test infrastructure that scale as we move from seed-stage prototypes to commercial production volume.
- Help with early customer support to resolve early issues, high willingness to put on boots and travel out to ranchers to help debug.
Benefits
- Meaningful equity package with a high trajectory start-up
- Health, dental, vision insurance
- Paid family and medical leave
- Unlimited PTO
- Collaborative environment with emphasis on strong team culture
- Ownership and responsibility
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
No Education Listed
