Test Engineer III

Iridium Satellite•McLean, VA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

As a Test Engineer III, you will independently plan and execute verification activities across the software development and operations lifecycle, with an emphasis on end-to-end and integration testing for complex systems. You will design and implement manual and automated test approaches, including AI-assisted techniques where appropriate, drive testing deliverables to completion, and partner with Engineering, Product, and Program stakeholders to assess risk and readiness. You will strengthen quality outcomes by reviewing test artifacts, escalating issues, and continuously improving verification processes based on results and defect trends. The position primarily works in an office setting and is largely sedentary, with most work performed on a computer. Under Iridium’s Hybrid Work Policy, employees are expected to work at least four days per week (approximately 80%) in an Iridium office.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Computer Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience in lieu of a degree.
At least 5 years of relevant experience in software testing or quality engineering, including end-to-end and integration testing for complex applications.
Demonstrated expertise with the Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC), test planning, estimation, traceability, and verification documentation.
Hands-on experience building and maintaining test automation using modern tools and frameworks, including UI, API, and integration test approaches.
Experience using AI-assisted tools or models to support test case design and/or automation development; ML model development is not required.
Strong analytical skills, including investigating issues across environments, identifying root causes, and recommending practical solutions.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including collaborating across regions and presenting status, risks, and quality findings.
Ability to prioritize, manage upward, and own testing deliverables, driving work to completion with minimal day-to-day direction.

Nice To Haves

Experience in the aviation industry and/or safety- or mission-critical software environments.
Experience leading end-to-end or user acceptance testing efforts for systems with multiple integration points and distributed teams.
Experience with CI/CD integration for automated testing and test reporting dashboards.
Demonstrated ability to mentor peers and influence adoption of testing best practices; direct people management is not required.

Responsibilities

Participate in requirements and design discussions to define verification scope, risks, and acceptance criteria for assigned initiatives.
Develop test plans, estimates, and traceability for end-to-end, integration, and user acceptance testing across multiple applications and integration points.
Design, implement, and maintain manual and automated test cases; use AI-assisted tooling to accelerate test design and automation with appropriate validation and review.
Execute testing in Agile and/or Waterfall environments, track progress, results, and defects, and communicate status, risks, and mitigations.
Serve as a technical escalation point for testing matters, help remove blockers, and coordinate with cross-functional teams to drive timely issue resolution.
Review and improve test artifacts produced by others, including test cases, plans, and reports, and coordinate signoff workflows with Product Owners and other stakeholders.
Monitor verification effectiveness, including defect leakage and root cause analysis, and implement targeted process and tooling improvements.
Support deployment and launch activities by creating user-facing documentation, conducting training as needed, and assisting with initial operational readiness.