Staff Systems Test Engineer

Agility Robotics•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

Agility Robotics is at the forefront of developing humanoid robots designed to operate in real-world environments. Our mission is to build robots that seamlessly integrate into human workflows, solving complex challenges in logistics, manufacturing, and beyond. As we scale our deployments and accelerate product development, we are looking for a Staff/Senior Staff System Validation Engineer to lead end-to-end system-level verification and validation for our humanoid robot platform. 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.

Requirements

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
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

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

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
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
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
Develop automated test frameworks, scripts, and infrastructure (fixtures, instrumentation, data acquisition) to enable repeatable, scalable validation across the robot lifecycle
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
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
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

Benefits

401(k) Plan: Includes a 6% company match.
Equity: Company stock options.
Insurance Coverage: 100% company-paid medical, dental, vision, and short/long-term disability insurance for employees.
Benefit Start Date: Eligible for benefits on your first day of employment.
Well-Being Support: Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
Exempt Employees: Flexible, unlimited PTO and 10 company holidays, including a winter shutdown.
Non-Exempt Employees: 10 vacation days, paid sick leave, and 10 company holidays, including a winter shutdown, annually.
On-Site Perks: Catered lunches four times a week and a variety of healthy snacks and refreshments at our Salem and Pittsburgh locations.
Parental Leave: Generous paid parental leave programs.
Work Environment: A culture that supports flexible work arrangements.
Growth Opportunities: Professional development and tuition reimbursement programs.
Relocation Assistance: Provided for eligible roles.