Senior Software Quality Assurance Engineer, Tactical Applications

Who We Are

At Firestorm, we’re on a mission to revolutionize how defense solutions are designed and delivered. Our goal is to empower U.S. ally nations to effectively deter aggressors—regardless of their defense budget—through innovative, cost-efficient technologies. We call this vision “democratized deterrence.” As a VC-backed company at the intersection of defense and Silicon Valley, we’re pioneering the development of mission-adaptable aerial vehicles that put power back into the hands of operators. By prioritizing operator effectiveness, we’re pioneering a new era of aerial vehicle design. We aim to upend the traditional defense procurement model by delivering world-class capabilities at a fraction of the usual cost. Join us at Firestorm as we redefine defense procurement, making cutting-edge technology accessible to all at a fraction of the cost.

About the Role

 Firestorm Labs is seeking a skilled and driven Senior Software QA Engineer to join our Tactical Applications team. This integral team develops operator-facing software, including our Ground Control Station (GCS) and companion tools across Windows, Linux, Android (including ATAK), and simulation platforms. This role will be the first line of deep testing for these mission-critical systems, shaping UX, catching defects early and ensuring reliability before software reaches Flight Test operations. You will combine rigorous, manual and exploratory testing with automation, at the UI and API layers. You'll also collaborate closely with the autonomy, platform and payload teams, while spending hands-on time with hardware benches, radios and operator field kits to validate real-world workflows.
The work involved with this role will have a direct impact on the reliability, safety, and usability of the tools that operators depend on in the field. If you thrive in real-world environments, enjoy breaking complex systems to make them better, and want to shape high-stakes applications before they reach Flight Test, this may be a good fit.

What You’ll Do

• Manage QA efforts for Tactical Applications, including GCS (Qt), ATAK/Android apps, and Unity-based tools.
• Provide early feedback on defects, UX issues, and performance regressions.
• Define and execute test strategies including feature test plans, exploratory charters, regression suites, and release sign-off gates before test flights.
• Develop and maintain UI automation for:
  • Qt: Squish for Qt (QML, Qt Quick, complex controls).
  • Android/ATAK: Espresso or UI Automator, Appium, and Gradle integration.
  • Unity: Unity Test Framework (Edit and Play Modes), NUnit, and evaluate appropriate UI automation tools.
• Validate end-to-end workflows across platforms such as telemetry, mapping, media, and command/control under conditions such as degraded comms, jitter or packet loss.
• Set up SITL and HITL test rigs, script scenario playback, and inject telemetry using MAVLink, STANAG 4586, and Cursor-on-Target.
• Triage bugs by reproducing and isolating them using logs, traces, and diagnostic tools like Wireshark or serial and UDP/TCP sniffers.
• Collaborate with developers to improve testability, shift quality left, and build golden datasets and fault injection hooks.
• Integrate tests into CI/CD pipelines (GitLab, Jenkins) with automated packaging validation for Windows (MSI, MSIX), Linux (AppImage, .deb, .rpm), and Android (APK, AAB).
• Contribute to reliability and security hardening with negative testing, fuzzing, permissions checks and secure-by-design reviews.
• Produce concise documentation including test plans, operator checklists, and automation guides.
• Assist in mentoring engineers on testing best practices.
• Follow all safety, security, lab, and manufacturing protocols

 

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
• Minimum 5 years of professional QA or SDET experience testing complex, user-facing applications
• U.S. Citizenship required due to ITAR regulations & the ability to obtain and maintain a Department of Defense (DoD) security clearance
• Proven expertise in validating Qt-based applications, including QML and Qt Quick, on Windows and Linux environments
• Hands-on testing experience of Android apps, preferably with ATAK, or similar mission tools
• Proven automation experience using Squish for Qt, Espresso or UI Automator and Appium for Android, as well as Unity Test Framework or NUnit-based tools.
• Proficiency in managing network communications across TCP, UDP, WebSockets, serial protocols and telemetry, in environments with lossy or restricted link conditions
• Skilled in working within a Linux and Windows environmen