Robotics System Test Engineer

Gritt

is an intelligent system that combines robotics and AI to build the infrastructure that pulls society forward. Gritt deploys via simple attachments to common equipment found on construction sites and autonomously performs labor-intensive tasks, verification, and planning. Gritt systems are already building critical infrastructure in the harshest outdoor environments, starting with large-scale solar. The

founding team

includes experts in robotics and AI from Carnegie Mellon, Stanford, and MIT. Gritt is backed by Obvious Ventures, Union Square Ventures, First Round Capital, Climactic, Congruent Ventures, and other leading firms.

Role: Robotics System Test Engineer

Location: SF Bay Area (in-person)

About the role

We are looking for a Robotics System Test Engineer to own how we prove our robots are ready, across both the autonomy software and the physical machine. This is not a siloed QA role. You will work at the intersection of perception, planning, controls, and hardware, and you will spend real time outdoors: most of your testing happens in the yard behind our office, where our robots run in genuine sun, wind, dust, and temperature.

You will define the test strategy, build the automation and fixtures that catch regressions before they ship, and lead full-system test campaigns on heavy machines. Your work directly determines whether a one-ton robot is trusted to operate autonomously and whether it does so safely around the people testing it.

What you’ll get to work on

• Own the test strategy for the autonomy stack across perception, planning, manipulation, and the models that run locally on every robot.

• Define quantitative acceptance criteria for pick-and-place accuracy, cycle time, model performance, safety behavior, and hold releases to them.

• Lead root-cause analysis on failures that span perception, software, controls, and hardware.

• Plan and run full-system test campaigns on heavy (~1,000 lb) robots in our yard, across real weather, lighting, dust, and temperature.

• Design and build mechanical and electrical test fixtures and instrumentation that make results measurable and repeatable.

• Execute the full range of testing including exploratory and characterization on prototypes, performance and reliability testing, and end-to-end verification against formal requirements.

• Test across the panel SKUs and conditions the robot must handle in production, from new hardware to changing site and weather conditions.

• Develop, document, and enforce safety procedures for testing large autonomous machines around people and equipment.

• Produce clear, data-driven test reports and maintain traceability from requirements through to test execution and results.

• Investigate field incidents and feed structured findings back into the test suite so the same issue never ships twice.

What we look for

• M.S/B.S degree in robotics, vision, computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering or other engineering disciplines (or equivalent experience).

• 3+ years in test, QA, or validation engineering, including significant experience testing robotics, autonomous systems, or other complex physical and embedded products.

• Skilled in Python and C++, with a track record of building test automation, tooling, and analysis pipelines from scratch.

• Hands-on hardware testing experience - building fixtures, hardware-in-the-loop rigs, and instrumentation - alongside software testing (CI, regression, simulation)..

• A rigorous, data-driven approach: you write clear test plans, define quantitative acceptance criteria, and make ship / no-ship calls backed by evidence.

• Sound safety judgment. You are comfortable working hands-on with heavy machinery outdoors and take procedure seriously.

• Familiarity with robotics frameworks like ROS2.

• Should be comfortable taking ownership of tasks with light supervision.

• Must have excellent problem-solving skills.

• Legally authorized to work in the United States.