Job Description
Verification & Validation Engineer (Embedded Systems)
This role sits within a team that qualifies key components used in advanced defence systems. You'd be working across several work packages, supporting engineers from different disciplines to make sure embedded software and electro-mechanical products meet strict performance, safety and reliability requirements.
At its core, the job is about making sure the system works exactly as intended. You do this by examining requirements, turning them into structured and traceable test cases, running those tests in a lab environment, capturing results and feeding issues back to development teams.
It's a hands-on position that needs someone who's comfortable with real hardware, embedded software behaviours, and troubleshooting unexpected results. You'll often use scripting to automate parts of the test process or to handle data capture and analysis.
What you actually do day-to-day
Planning & analysis
* Review system and software requirements.
* Break them down into clear, repeatable test cases and procedures.
* Decide the best way to test each function or behaviour.
Practical lab work
* Work directly with electro-mechanical rigs running embedded software.
* Set up instrumentation, trigger tests, capture data and observe system behaviour.
* Debug issues alongside software, electronic and systems engineers.
Reporting
* Record results in detail.
* Provide clear, actionable feedback for development teams.
* Support evidence packs for safety and quality assurance.
Skills needed
Must haves
* Strong background in Verification & Validation for embedded software.
* Able to turn requirements into structured test cases.
* Practical experience testing embedded systems in a lab.
* Solid understanding of the software development lifecycle.
* Some scripting knowledge (Python is common, but not essential).
Nice to have
* Experience in safety-critical environments.
* Familiarity with standards like DO-178C, DefStan 00-55, or DO-330.
* Embedded coding experience (Ada or C/C++).
* Understanding of Real-Time Operating Systems.
* Exposure to model-based design tools (e.g. Rhapsody).
* Knowledge of test automation frameworks.
* Experience with DOORS, EWM, LDRA, Rapita Suite, or similar