Software QA Test Development Engineer

Job Title: Software QA Test Development EngineerPosition Description: Protingent Staffing has an exciting contract Software QA Test Development Engineer with our client located in Pleasanton, CA.Key Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain unit test suites against production embedded C/C++, and drive structural code coverage — statement, branch, and MC/DC where the ASIL requires it — to agreed targets.
• Develop integration test suites and SiL that verify module interfaces, timing behavior, and error handling across software component boundaries.
• Build and own qualification test benches  — MiL/SiL setups, fault injection, and end-to-end sensor scenarios — including the fixtures, stimulus, and automated pass/fail evaluation.
• Automate the full test stack in CI/CD so that every merge request runs the right tier of tests and reports coverage, static analysis, and regressions without manual intervention.
• Author test plans, test cases, and test reports with bidirectional traceability to requirements, and file defect reports another engineer can act on without a meeting.
• Bring up and maintain lab equipment: JTAG/SWD debuggers, oscilloscopes, logic and bus analyzers, and CAN/CAN-FD/Automotive Ethernet trace tooling.
• Triage failures to root cause across software, firmware, and hardware, and drive defects to closure with the owning teams.
• Support Automotive SPICE assessments and ISO 26262 safety work products, including evidence collection and audit walkthroughs.
• Support OEM and Tier 1 customer programs through production milestones (A/B/C sample, SOP).

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
• 3–6 years of experience in software test development, verification, or QA for embedded systems — automotive, robotics, or aerospace
• Strong Python for test automation and shell scripting, plus working proficiency in C and/or C++ sufficient to read production embedded code and write unit tests against it.
• Hands-on experience with at least one unit test framework (GoogleTest, CUnit, VectorCAST, Tessy; gcov/lcov, Bullseye) and with structural code coverage measurement.
• Practical understanding of the V-model and of testing at unit, integration, and qualification levels — including what makes each level distinct.
• Experience with embedded debug and lab equipment: JTAG/SWD debuggers, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, bus analyzers.
• Experience with at least one automotive communication protocol — CAN/CAN-FD, LIN, or Automotive Ethernet — and the tooling to trace it.
• Git, code review, and CI/CD fluency; comfortable owning pipeline jobs, not just consuming them.
• Clear technical writing — test plans, test cases, and defect reports that another engineer can act on without a meeting.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience with MISRA C/C++ compliance work and static analysis with Polyspace, Coverity, LDRA, or clang-tidy, cppcheck
• Experience working with ISO 9001 Quality Management
• ISO 26262 experience at ASIL B or above, including MC/DC coverage on safety-critical units.
• SiL bench development with dSPACE, NI VeriStand/TestStand, ETAS LABCAR, or TPT.
• AUTOSAR (Classic or Adaptive) software architecture and RTE interface testing.
• Lidar, radar, camera, or other sensor software experience — including point cloud data analysis (PCL, Open3D, NumPy).
• Real-time operating systems (QNX, AUTOSAR OS, FreeRTOS, Linux with PREEMPT_RT) and timing/latency analysis.
• Experience supporting OEM or Tier 1 customer programs through production milestones (A/B/C sample, SOP).
• ISTQB certification, or equivalent formal test qualification

Job Details:

• Contract: 6-9 months
• Pay Range: $50-60/hr
• Location: Pleasanton, CA (Onsite)

Benefits Package: Protingent offers competitive salaries, insurance plan options (HDHP plan or POS plan), education/certification reimbursement, pre-tax commuter benefits, Paid Time Off (PTO), and an administered 401k plan.About Protingent: Protingent is an Award-Winning provider of top-tier Engineering and IT talent, trusted by companies at the forefront of innovation — from Software and Aerospace to AI, Clean Tech, Medical Devices, and Connected Technologies. We’re passionate about making a positive impact by connecting exceptional talent with meaningful opportunities and helping our clients build the future.