Senior Quality Assurance Engineer

Summary

Xtract One Technologies is seeking a Senior Quality Engineer to lead and enhance quality assurance (QA) efforts across our software, hardware, and machine learning (ML) products. Reporting to the Quality Engineering Manager, you will drive end-to-end QA strategies, from design through deployment, ensuring high standards of performance, reliability, and security. This role involves deep collaboration with cross-functional teams to embed quality into every stage of the product lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

Quality Assurance Leadership:

• Develop and execute comprehensive QA strategies for software, hardware, and ML components.
• Lead implementation of industry best practices for end to end, performance, security, and compliance based testing.
  Define and maintain quality metrics, test plans, and automated testing frameworks across product layers.
• Perform various testing cycles including automation, regression, performance, and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL).
• Investigate issues through root cause analysis and drive timely resolution of defects from development through field deployment.
• Design, develop, and maintain automated test scripts using code and tools like TestRail, ensuring efficient and comprehensive test coverage.
• Determine appropriate testing methodologies (manual vs. automated) and execute various test types including functional, regression, performance, security, accessibility, end-to-end, sanity, and smoke tests, understanding when each should be performed.
• Lead discussions during design phases to enhance testability and anticipate edge cases, ensuring alignment with 'Definition of Ready' and 'Definition of Done' criteria.
  

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Work closely with software, hardware, ML, DevOps, product management, and customer-facing teams to ensure testability and quality coverage throughout development.
• Partner with external testing labs and regulatory bodies to support compliance efforts (e.g., FCC, CE, EMC).
• Support on-site manufacturing quality audits and monitor supplier adherence to quality standards.
• Collaborate closely with development teams to define clear handoff points for quality activities.
• Actively engage with product management to push for more information and ensure comprehensive requirements are captured as part of 'Definition of Ready'.
  

Team & Process Development:

• Mentor junior QA engineers and promote a culture of ownership, learning, and high performance.
• Contribute to test process improvement, tool selection, and CI/CD integration.
• Guide discussions during design phases to enhance testability and anticipate edge cases.
• Provide guidance and expertise on all levels of testing, including unit, integration, system, and user acceptance testing.
• Actively mentor Junior Quality Engineers, fostering their growth and technical skills.
  

Communication & Documentation:

• Communicate quality insights, risks, and timelines effectively to leadership and stakeholders.
• Document QA processes, test methodologies, and compliance requirements for organizational alignment.
  

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field (Master’s preferred).
• 5+ years of quality engineering experience across software, hardware, or ML systems.
• Hands-on experience with tools and frameworks such as Cypress, Behave, JUnit, TestRail, Airflow, MATLAB, TensorFlow.
• Proven expertise in implementing automated testing and quality assurance strategies in complex development environments.
• Strong knowledge of root cause analysis, hardware validation techniques (e.g., thermal, signal integrity), and issue troubleshooting.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills; able to work effectively across technical and non-technical teams.
• Experience with Agile methodologies and tools such as Jira or Asana.
• Willingness to travel up to 20%.
• Demonstrated strong quality engineering experience with hardware, including a deep understanding of networking principles.
• Ability to automate tests proficiently using code and various tools, including TestRail.
• Experience working with cloud environments, specifically AWS.
• Proven ability to mentor and guide Junior Quality Engineers.
• Clear understanding of all levels of testing: unit, integration, system, and user acceptance.
• Strong judgment in determining when to perform manual versus automated tests.
• Comprehensive knowledge of when to perform various types of tests, including functional, regression, performance, security, accessibility, end-to-end, sanity, and smoke tests.
  

Preferred:

• Background in security, weapons detection, or related industries.
• Experience with ML model validation and deployment pipelines. Demonstrated mentorship or leadership within QA teams.

Xtract One is committed to creating an inclusive, accessible work environment and providing accommodations for individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code. If you require accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process or while employed with us, please notify Human Resources at [email protected] , and we will work with you to meet your needs.