Job Description

Lead Test Automation Engineer - Hardware The Company Sofar is on a mission to connect the world’s oceans. We design, build, and deploy the largest privately owned network of marine weather sensors to power the world’s best marine weather forecasts. Our data helps our customers to increase efficiency and reduce emissions, delivering tools to governments and other stakeholders to understand impacts of climate change on extreme weather and ocean health. We live on Planet Ocean, and our goal is to create the ocean intelligence needed to ensure a sustainable future. The Role As the Lead Test Automation Engineer on our hardware team, you will spearhead the design and implementation of our testing systems, ranging from sensor calibration fixtures to embedded system test scripts. You’ll work closely with design engineers to develop functional test requirements, collaborate with on-site manufacturing and production teams to ensure testing tools and fixtures are in optimal condition and used effectively, and mentor junior engineers across testing and production. You will maintain comprehensive and detailed documentation of all test and automation requirements, processes and instructions. You will report directly to Sofar's Embedded Software Engineering Lead. You excel in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment, and you’re energized by the opportunity to build tools that will play a pivotal role in deploying Sofar systems in oceans worldwide. These systems gather vital data to drive conservation efforts, enhance climate and weather science, improve coastal safety, and support sustainable practices in the marine industry. You’re excited about the opportunity to join a growing startup, expand your technical and leadership expertise, make a significant, positive impact on our planet, and learn from a dynamic team of engineers, scientists, and ocean enthusiasts. Impact You’ll Own: Drive improvements in production capacity and reduce TAKT time to meet ambitious production scaling targets, while maintaining highly accurate systems with rigorous test coverage that ensure only fully validated high quality products are shipped to our customers and oceans. Support the launch of new products by collaborating with engineering and manufacturing team members to capture, and training technicians on new processes. Exceptionally supportive, with a strong focus on 'keeping the line running.' Handles interruptions with a positive attitude and provides clear, respectful training to technicians. A true team player, offering respectful guidance and training to technicians while actively collecting and sharing data. About You 6+ years of relevant experience in software engineering, embedded firmware architecture and development, hardware validation testing, and manufacturing automation tooling. Proficient in modern Python , with a strong track record of applying it to embedded systems and automation challenges. Expertise in synthesizing complex requirements from cross-functional teams (manufacturing, engineering) into a clear, actionable strategy and cohesive system design. Proven leadership guiding the efforts of 1-2 team members, setting and tracking milestones, meeting deadlines, and delivering clear, effective updates to non-technical stakeholders. Meticulous execution , ensuring every detail is thoroughly addressed and all tasks are completed with precision, consistently maintaining high standards in all aspects of work. Bonus Points A passion for or connection to the ocean. Experience with OHTF or other test-automation frameworks. Estimated Salary Range $140,000 - $170,000 The range listed is what we reasonably expect to pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and may be modified in the future. Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, experience, and equity package. Sofar's Commitment to Climate Justice We at Sofar Ocean acknowledge that careers in the marine sciences have traditionally been, and remain, non-diverse work environments, thereby limiting the entry and prosperity of underrepresented groups in the space. Many of these same groups are disproportionately affected by climate change, and are often excluded from decision making that directly address their interests and needs. We are committed to addressing these climate injustices and highly encourage people who identify as women, LGBTQ+, Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) to apply. Employee Conduct It is the responsibility of every employee to contribute to a positive work environment through cooperative and professional interactions with co-workers, customers, and vendors. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other factors prohibited by law. Apply for this job * indicates a required field First Name * Last Name * Preferred First Name Email * Phone Resume/CV * Enter manually Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf LinkedIn Profile Are you located in the SF Bay Area or willing to relocate? * Select... Are you willing to come into the office 5x/week? * Select... Voluntary Self-Identification For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file. As set forth in Sofar Ocean’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law. Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form CC-305 Page 1 of 1 OMB Control Number 1250-0005 Expires 04/30/2026 Why are you being asked to complete this form? We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years. Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at How do you know if you have a disability? A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to: Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally) Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS Blind or low vision Cancer (past or present) Cardiovascular or heart disease Celiac disease Cerebral palsy Deaf or serious difficulty hearing Diabetes Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders Epilepsy or other seizure disorder Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome Intellectual or developmental disability Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD Missing limbs or partially missing limbs Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS) Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities Partial or complete paralysis (any cause) Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema Short stature (dwarfism) Traumatic brain injury Disability Status Select... PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete. #J-18808-Ljbffr Sofar Ocean

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