Quality Assurance Manager - Embedded Systems / HIL Testing

Overview

We are seeking a hands-on Quality Assurance Manager to lead the quality strategy across a portfolio of embedded software, firmware, and hardware products. This is a senior role for an experienced QA leader who can combine technical depth with people leadership, taking ownership of the full testing lifecycle across complex engineering products.

You will be responsible for defining and driving the overall quality approach, from test frameworks and automation architecture through to Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) validation, reporting, release readiness, and continuous improvement. Working closely with R&D, product, and cross-functional engineering teams, you will help build a scalable and contribution-friendly test ecosystem that supports quality across the wider organisation.

This role would suit someone with a strong background in embedded systems testing, automation, CI/CD, and system-level validation, who is comfortable leading a team while remaining close to the technical detail.

Key Responsibilities

Test Strategy & Framework Development

Define and own the QA and test strategy across the full product lifecycle for software, firmware, and hardware-based products. Establish test frameworks, standards, and best practices to ensure consistent, scalable, and high-quality validation processes. Design modular and reusable test architecture, ensuring test assets are version-controlled, maintainable, and accessible to contributors outside the QA team. Create a contribution model including templates, governance, code review standards, and documentation to enable broader engineering participation in quality. Drive coverage across the test pyramid, including unit, integration, system, acceptance, and end-to-end testing.

Automation & CI/CD

Build and improve automated testing capability across embedded and system-level products. Integrate automated test execution into CI/CD pipelines using tools such as Jenkins, GitLab CI, or GitHub Actions. Implement quality gates, reporting, flaky test management, and automated feedback loops to support release confidence and development speed. Promote shift-left testing practices to improve defect prevention and increase early-stage quality ownership across engineering teams.

Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) & Embedded Validation

Plan, develop, and operate HIL test environments where the company's own hardware and embedded software are the components under test. Coordinate signal injection, fault injection, and real-time stimulus to validate behaviour under both nominal and edge-case operating conditions. Define HIL infrastructure requirements and work closely with hardware engineers on bench design, setup, calibration, and ongoing maintenance. Oversee system-level validation activities to ensure robust end-to-end product performance across hardware, firmware, and application layers.

Reporting, Metrics & Release Readiness

Produce clear and audience-appropriate test reporting covering execution progress, pass/fail rates, defect trends, coverage, and regression performance. Define and track quality KPIs such as test coverage, automation ratio, defect leakage, escape rate, MTTD/MTTR, and release readiness. Maintain requirements-to-test traceability to support verification, audit readiness, and confidence in delivered functionality. Provide release sign-off recommendations based on evidence, quality data, and clear risk assessment.

Leadership & Team Development

Lead, mentor, and develop a team of QA engineers across local and global teams. Set team objectives, conduct 1:1s, performance reviews, and support professional development and capability growth. Foster a quality-first engineering culture by supporting teams on testability, defect prevention, and continuous improvement. Run core QA ceremonies including sprint planning, defect triage, retrospectives, and alignment with wider delivery and release activities.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Work closely with R&D, Product, and Customer Support teams to translate customer requirements, field issues, and product needs into robust test plans. Represent QA in architecture and design reviews to ensure quality and testability are considered from the earliest stages of development. Champion defect lifecycle management, including triage, prioritisation, root cause analysis, and post-mortem reviews. Collaborate with stakeholders across the organisation to improve quality visibility, governance, and release confidence.

Required Skills & Experience

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, or a related technical discipline. Proven experience in QA, test engineering, or validation within embedded software and/or hardware product environments. Previous leadership experience managing and developing QA or test engineering teams. Strong hands-on experience with test automation, test framework design, and scalable validation strategies. Good understanding of the full test lifecycle, including unit testing, integration testing, system testing, BDD/acceptance testing, and end-to-end validation. Experience with Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) or equivalent embedded validation environments. Strong programming/scripting skills in at least one of Python, C, C++, or Java. Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, version control systems such as Git, and automated quality reporting. Experience using defect tracking and test management tools such as Jira, Xray, Zephyr, or Polarion. Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with both technical teams and senior stakeholders. Demonstrated ability to improve QA maturity, drive process improvements, and build a collaborative quality culture.

To find out more about Computer Futures please visit

Computer Futures, a trading division of SThree Partnership LLP is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy | Registered office | 8 Bishopsgate, London, EC2N 4BQ, United Kingdom | Partnership Number | OC(phone number removed) England and Wales