Software Engineer - Validation

Harmattan AI is a next‑generation defense prime that builds autonomous, scalable systems for allied forces. After a recent $200 million Series B round, the company is expanding its validation capabilities to ensure its drone software is trustworthy before any mission flight. As a Software Test & Validation Engineer you will create and maintain automated test scenarios that push flight software through simulation (SITL) and hardware‑in‑the‑loop (HITL) environments. You will translate noisy flight metrics into clear pass/fail signals, integrate those tests into the CI pipeline, capture and replay telemetry, and continuously improve the simulation bench based on real‑world feedback. New platforms will arrive regularly, so you will repeatedly stand up fresh test coverage from scratch. The role requires a background in software engineering, embedded systems, mechatronics, aerospace, or a closely related discipline, together with strong Python skills for tooling and automation. You must think at the system level, apply statistical reasoning to noisy data, and possess enough physical intuition to understand flight behaviour. Experience in test‑scenario or framework design, CI/CD and DevOps tooling (Docker, Jenkins/GitLab CI, Git, Linux), simulation (SITL/HITL), and telemetry capture and analysis is essential, as is a validation mindset focused on rigor, edge‑case awareness, and healthy scepticism. Clear communication and ownership are needed to collaborate with flight‑software, simulation, and hardware teams. A background in drones or robotics and prior work with statistical analysis of noisy test data are considered valuable extras. The validation team is scaling quickly, offering the chance to shape testing processes for dozens to hundreds of drones while working in a demanding environment that prizes excellence, ownership, and execution. What the role asks for: - Background in software, embedded, mechatronics, or aerospace - Strong Python for test tooling and automation - System‑level thinking ability - Statistical mindset for noisy test data - Physical intuition for flight behaviour - Test‑scenario/framework design experience - CI/CD and DevOps tooling (Docker, Jenkins/GitLab CI, Git, Linux) - Simulation experience (SITL/HITL) - Telemetry capture and analysis experience - Validation mindset with rigor and edge‑case focus - Clear communication and ownership - Nice‑to‑have: C++ programming skills - Nice‑to‑have: Drone or robotics background - Nice‑to‑have: Experience with statistical analysis of noisy data