{"id":117922,"url":"https://alion.io/job/rivr-tech-lead-testing-engineer","title":"Tech Lead – Testing Engineer","company":{"id":27772,"name":"RIVR","domain":"rivr.ai","url":"https://alion.io/company/rivr","size_band":"201-500","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Lever","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":73,"open_postings":32,"ghost_share":0.375,"stale_share":0,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":96,"computed_at":"2026-10-16T05:45:00Z"}},"role":"Leadership","role_family":"Leadership","seniority":"lead","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Zurich, Switzerland"],"countries":["CH"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":112000,"max_usd":323000,"period":"year","method":"global_role_cell_scaled_by_country","sample_n":2046},"experience_years_min":7,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Physical AI","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"Fusion 360","optional":true},{"name":"Pytest","optional":true},{"name":"ROS","optional":true},{"name":"ROS2","optional":true},{"name":"SolidWorks","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-08-21T13:15:23Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-08-21","last_verified_at":"2026-10-17T04:17:01Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":56,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":0,"flags":["company_stale"],"days_open":55},"description":"About RIVR, part of Amazon\nRIVR, part of Amazon is a robotics company pioneering Physical AI through real-world doorstep delivery. Founded in 2024 as an ETH Zurich spin-off, RIVR developed wheeled-legged robots designed to operate in complex, unstructured environments such as stairs, gates, doors, and uneven urban terrain. We believe that achieving general physical intelligence requires solving real customer problems in the real world, where robots can learn from rich operational data at scale.\nFollowing our acquisition by Amazon in March 2026, we are continuing this mission with greater reach and speed. By combining custom robot hardware, onboard autonomy, and cloud-based coordination, RIVR, part of Amazon is building the next generation of safe, reliable autonomous robots for last-mile delivery.\nJob Description\nWe are looking for a Technical Lead - Testing Engineer to own and elevate the testing strategy for our advanced robotic systems. In this role you will define how we validate hardware reliability and performance, from individual actuator characterization through full system-level integration. You will lead a team of test engineers, set technical directions and goals for test infrastructure, and be the bridge between technical unknowns and experimental measurements that enable engineering decisions ultimately shaping our robots.\nThis is a hands-on leadership role. You will still design test benches, write automation code, and dig into data, but you will also mentor engineers, drive process maturity, and represent testing in cross-functional planning. If you combine deep technical expertise in hardware testing with the ability to set priorities, grow people, and influence design outcomes, this role offers a unique opportunity to shape how a Physical AI company validates its products.\nWhat you'll be doing\nTechnical Leadership & Strategy\nDefine and own the end-to-end test strategy for structural, mechatronic, and sensing subsystems, aligned with product development milestones.\n\nEstablish testing standards, processes, and best practices across the team, including test plan templates, data management workflows, and reporting formats.\n\nMake architectural decisions on test infrastructure: investments into instrumentation platforms, automation frameworks, and data pipelines.\n\nDrive continuous improvement of test coverage, efficiency, and predictive capability.\n\nHands-On Testing & Engineering\nDesign, commission, and operate test benches for mechatronics systems (actuators, mechanism, cabling and sensor), including fixture design, instrumentation layout, and safety concepts.\n\nSelect, integrate, and calibrate sensors, load cells, thermocouples with a thorough understanding of their working principles and error influences.\n\nDevelop and maintain automation scripts (Python, Labview) to control test hardware, execute stress and performance tests, and log critical data.\n\nProcess and analyze test data applying signal processing and statistics fundamental to extract meaningful performance metrics.\n\nReporting & Design Influence\nCompile clear, structured test reports that compare results against specifications, highlight anomalies, and derive actionable engineering learnings to feed back into the design cycle.\n\nIdentify failure modes, performance bottlenecks, and reliability risks, translating findings into concrete design recommendations.\n\nRepresent the test function in design reviews, providing data-driven input on FMEA, and qualification criteria.\n\nTeam & Collaboration\nMentor and grow test engineers, fostering technical depth and a culture of rigorous, curiosity-driven experimentation.\n\nCollaborate closely with mechanical, electrical, firmware, and systems engineers to align test strategies with product requirements.\n\nCoordinate with external test labs and suppliers when specialized testing is required.\n\nBasic Qualifications\nMaster's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, or a related technical field.\n\n7+ years of experience in hardware testing or validation, with at least 3 years in a technical leadership or senior individual contributor role.\n\nProven experience designing and commissioning test benches for electro-mechanical system or consumer electronics with significant power and motion elements.\n\nStrong scripting proficiency in Python for test automation, device control, and data analysis.\n\nPractical knowledge of sensors and instrumentation - torque cells, encoders, load cells, thermocouples, strain gauges, including their working principles, error influences, and calibration requirements.\n\nDemonstrated ability to turn test data into clear engineering insights that influence design decisions.\n\nExperience developing and reviewing test plans, test cases, and qualification criteria.\n\nThe ability to work hands-on in a workshop environment and use common tools safely.\n\nPreferred Qualifications\nExperience with motor or actuator characterization (efficiency mapping, cogging-torque analysis, thermal correlation).\n\nFamiliarity with test automation frameworks (LabVIEW, pytest) or hardware-in-the-loop setups.\n\nUnderstanding of measurement uncertainty analysis (GUM) and calibration procedures.\n\nHands-on experience with ROS/ROS2.\n\nExperience with CAD software (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or similar) for designing test fixtures.\n\nKnowledge of data acquisition (DAQ) hardware and system integration.\n\nExperience working in robotics, automotive, or aerospace test environments.\n\nTrack record of building or scaling a test engineering function within a fast-moving hardware team.","description_format":"text","description_chars":5595,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":7,"management_years_min":3,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"master","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Robotics AI","Logistics & Warehouse Robotics"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-08-21T13:15:23Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":72,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.796,"p_room":0.9,"age_days":55,"expected_fill_days":96,"reasons":["conf:3","win:mid"],"computed_at":"2026-10-16T05:45:00Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/rivr-tech-lead-testing-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/rivr-tech-lead-testing-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-17T04:20:35Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":5668,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-18T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":27772},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=27772"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Frivr-tech-lead-testing-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Frivr-tech-lead-testing-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Frivr-tech-lead-testing-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/rivr-tech-lead-testing-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Frivr-tech-lead-testing-engineer"}]}