Software Engineer I - AI Generalist

Posted Yesterday
Austin, TX, USA
Hybrid
Entry level
Logistics • Mobile • Productivity • Software • Transportation
Frontline workers save the world everyday. We build communication technology for them.
The Role
Join Zello's Quality Engineering team to build AI-assisted testing, automation, and small tools. Rotate into platform squads (iOS, Android, Web, backend), contribute code, find and fix quality gaps, and accelerate testing and triage with AI agents.
Summary Generated by Built In

IMPORTANT: Please be aware, scammers may try to impersonate Zello by reaching out regarding job opportunities. We will never ask you for bank account information, checks, or other sensitive information as part of our hiring process. All correspondence will come from the zello.com email domain. If you’re unsure, please email [email protected] with questions.

About Zello

Zello is a voice-first communication platform, powered by our industry-leading push-to-talk technology, to improve collaboration and productivity for desk-less workers. With over 175+ million users, we’re the #1 rated push-to-talk app in the world, delivering 9 billion (yes, with a B) messages a month. 

At Zello, our company values are at the heart of what we do everyday. We’re proud to serve the frontline, we’re privileged to connect people in times of crisis across the globe, and we’re honored to support first responders.

And this is where you come in.

Zello keeps frontline workers connected with instant, voice-first communication — and the quality of that experience is everything. We're adding a Software Engineer I - AI Generalist to our Quality Engineering team to use AI to raise our overall quality posture and then flex across the engineering org wherever the leverage is highest. This is a rare entry point: you'll get exposure across testing, tooling, and product engineering, and use what you learn to shape where your career goes next.

After a successful first year, you will have
  • Stood up AI-assisted testing that measurably improved coverage or cycle time on workflows that used to be manual-only.

  • Built at least one AI harness or tool that the QE or broader engineering teams actually adopted into their daily work.

  • Shipped real code across more than one part of the stack, embedded with an engineering squad and trusted by it.

  • Developed a clear sense of the domains that energize you — grounding a concrete conversation about your next step.

What you'll do
  • Use AI tools and agents to accelerate test creation, execution, and triage across Zello's clients and services.

  • Do targeted manual testing where it matters, and turn repetitive manual checks into durable automation.

  • Build small tools and AI harnesses that make the whole engineering org faster.

  • Rotate into engineering squads (iOS, Android, Web, backend) to contribute code with agent assistance.

  • Find quality gaps before they ship, and propose the fix rather than just filing the bug.

  • Communicate clearly and concisely with a distributed team, surfacing blockers early.

Who you are
  • You've built something real — a project, internship, hackathon entry, or open-source contribution — and can walk through what you made and why.

  • You already use AI coding tools as a force multiplier and are eager to push how far they go.

  • You write code in at least one language (Python, JS/TS, Java, Swift, Kotlin, or Go) and pick up new stacks fast.

  • You go broad willingly — you'd rather touch four parts of the system than specialize in one on day one.

  • You spot problems and move them toward done without waiting to be told each step.

  • You make the people around you faster, and your writing is clear enough that others can act on it.

  • You have 0–3 years of experience and are early in your career.

This Role Is Not
  • A manual-only QA seat — automation and building are core to the job.

  • A deep specialist track in one platform or one test framework.

  • A senior or lateral hire — this is deliberately an entry point with room to grow fast.

  • A role where you wait for a spec — you'll be trusted to find leverage and act on it.

We hire for potential, passion for our mission, and a knack for solving difficult problems over checking every qualification box. We have competitive pay, equity with significant upside, and intentionally design our benefits to encourage healthy and well-balanced employees, flexible schedules and time off. We even offer a sabbatical after every five years of service so you’re able to pursue and enjoy what matters most to you. And of course, we wouldn’t be a technology company without a ping-pong table and free snacks in our break room. Join us!

Zello provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
All Zello personnel are required to comply with defined security, privacy, and compliance requirements applicable to their role along with requirements that are applicable to all Zello personnel.

Skills Required

  • Built a real project, internship, hackathon entry, or open-source contribution and can explain it
  • Experience using AI coding tools/agents as force multipliers
  • Write code in at least one language (Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Java, Swift, Kotlin, or Go)
  • 0-3 years of professional experience; early in career
  • Ability and willingness to build automation, tooling, and AI harnesses (not manual-only QA)
  • Broad interest across platforms and ability to rotate into different engineering squads
  • Clear written and verbal communication; surface blockers early

What the Team is Saying

Nayeli

Zello Compensation & Benefits Highlights

  • Healthcare Strength Health, dental, and vision premiums are described as fully employer‑paid for employees. This core coverage is prominently emphasized in company and public benefit materials as a standout element.
  • Leave & Time Off Breadth Open PTO, paid holidays, paid parental leave, and a paid sabbatical after five years are included. Primary and secondary caregiver leave windows are outlined on public listings, indicating scope beyond standard PTO.
  • Equity Value & Accessibility Equity is granted to all employees upon joining, indicating accessible ownership participation. References to refresh grants suggest ongoing access rather than a one‑time award.

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The Company
HQ: Austin, TX
80 Employees
Year Founded: 2011

What We Do

We started as a company that turned phones into walkie-talkies. Today, we modernize instant voice communication with our industry-leading push-to-talk technology to help mobile workers meet quickly changing, urgent, real-world challenges. We have the highest-rated walkie-talkie app, with over 8 billion messages sent per month and 170 million users in industries such as transportation, retail, construction, hospitality, healthcare, and more. We’re proud to serve frontline workers, we’re privileged to connect people in times of crisis across the globe, and we’re honored to support first responders. As demand for our app continues to rise, we’ve evolved from a startup to a scale-up — and we’re still growing rapidly, which is where you come in.

Why Work With Us

If you strive to work on technology with purpose, technology that actually changes how people communicate and work, then come talk to us. We like people who take pride in their work, and deliver with consistency and quality. We're collaborative, sometimes serious, sometimes not, but we're all in 110%.

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Zello Offices

Hybrid Workspace

Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.

Zello is a hybrid workplace, where Austin employees typically work in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Typical time on-site: 3 days a week
HQAustin, TX
We're at downtown Austin on West 6th, with quick highway access. Directly across from Mean Eyed Cat and El Arroyo, there’s always somewhere for lunch or drinks.

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