Robotics Software Test Engineer

Rhoda Ai

Palo Alto, US

On-siteCareer-pivot friendly

Who this role is best for

Best suited to mid-level engineers with robotics or embedded systems experience who thrive in fast-moving, cross-functional teams in Palo Alto.

Best fit for

Engineers who can architect test systems for complex robotic software stacks.
— “Design and implement automated test plans, test cases, and test fixtures across the full robotic software stack”
Candidates comfortable with both Python and C++ in Linux environments.
— “Proficiency in Python and C++”
Self-starters who prioritize effectively in ambiguous situations.
— “Self-starter mentality — comfortable with ambiguity, able to prioritize independently”

Things to consider

Role involves physical world consequences for software failures.
— “where a missed regression isn't just a bug — it has consequences in the physical world”
Requires building QA systems from the ground up.
— “Build foundational QA systems from the ground up”

How to stand out

Demonstrate experience with hardware-in-the-loop testing methodologies.
— “system-level tests, and hardware-in-the-loop validation”
Show impact of your test infrastructure on release quality.
— “track test coverage, failure trends, and release readiness”
Highlight cross-functional collaboration in small team environments.
— “able to work cross-functionally in a small, fast-moving team”

Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · TeamLevel · Senior

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

designed and implemented automated test plans
strengthened CI/CD pipelines
defined quality metrics

Typical background

experience designing and building test infrastructure

Skills & requirements

Required

PythonC++Software-engineering-best-practicesTest-infrastructureCi/cd-systemsSoftware-testing-methodologiesLinux-developmentSelf-starterCommunication

Preferred

DockerBazelPerception-systemsIndustrial-communication-protocolsNetworking-fundamentalsEmbedded-iot-devicesProduct-design

Stack & domain

PythonC++Software Engineering Best PracticesDesign PatternsTest InfrastructureCi/cd SystemsLinuxDockerBazelPerception SystemsIndustrial Communication ProtocolsNetworking FundamentalsSecurity Best Practices

About the role

Original posting from Rhoda Ai via Ashby

At Rhoda AI, we’re building the next generation of generalist intelligent robots. We own the full robotics stack from high-performance hardware and robot systems to the infrastructure and state-of-the-art foundation world models that control our robots. Our robots are designed to be generalists capable of operating in complex, real-world environments and handling long-tail edge cases, made possible by our cutting edge research and end-to-end system design. We've raised over $400M and are investing aggressively in model research, infrastructure, hardware development, and manufacturing scale-up to make generalist robotics a reality.
We're looking for a Robotics Software Test Engineer to design and build the test infrastructure that ensures our robot software stack is reliable, regression-free, and ready to ship.
What You'll Do
Design and implement automated test plans, test cases, and test fixtures across the full robotic software stack
Architect and build test infrastructure across all testing layers — spanning unit tests, component integration tests, system-level tests, and hardware-in-the-loop validation
Strengthen and extend CI/CD pipelines to catch regressions early and gate releases
Define quality metrics and KPIs; track test coverage, failure trends, and release readiness to give the team clear signal on product health
Participate in design and code reviews with a focus on observability, testability, and reliability
What We're Looking For
Proficiency in Python and C++
Strong knowledge of software engineering best practices and design patterns
Experience designing and building test infrastructure
Hands-on experience with CI/CD systems
Solid understanding of software testing methodologies across multiple layers
Experience with Linux-based development and production environments
Self-starter mentality — comfortable with ambiguity, able to prioritize independently, and willing to jump in wherever needed
Effective communication skills; able to work cross-functionally in a small, fast-moving team
Nice to Have (But Not Required)
Experience with Docker and containerized environments
Experience with Bazel or similar build systems
Familiarity with perception systems
Knowledge of industrial communication protocols (EtherCAT, Modbus, gRPC, etc.)
Understanding of networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, DNS, firewalls) and security best practices for embedded IoT devices
Experience contributing to product design processes
Why This Role
Own the quality bar for a humanoid robot software stack — your test infrastructure is the last line of defense before code runs on real hardware in the real world
Build foundational QA systems from the ground up at a critical moment in the company's development, with direct influence over how the engineering team ships
Work at the intersection of software reliability and physical robotics, where a missed regression isn't just a bug — it has consequences in the physical world

Source: Rhoda Ai careers (Ashby)