Senior Test Development Engineer
1X · San Carlos, United States · 1mo ago
Role Name: Test Engineer/ Senior Test Engineer
Department: Manufacturing
Location: San Carlos
About 1X
We’re building humanoid robots that work in home - doing the chores, handling the tasks, and giving people their time back. Simple, but it’s not.
To do this right, we have to solve robotics, AI, manufacturing - at the same time, at scale, in a form factor that has to be safe enough to live with your family. If you’re inspired by this, you’ll thrive here. We’ve been at this since 2014 and we’re at the point where the hard problems are behind us and the hard work is in front of us.
NEO is our flagship - a home robot designed to move, learn, and operate in the real world alongside real people. We’re not demoing it - we’re shipping it. We’re excited to meet you, if this excites you.
If you’ve spent your career working on problems that matter and want to see them actually reach the world - this is that moment. We’re scaling, we’re hiring with intention, and we need people who want to build something that will genuinely change how humans spend their time - safely creating abundance for all.
About the Team:
Test Engineering builds the systems that decide whether NEO hardware is ready to ship. We sit at the intersection of R&D, design, engineering and production. Developing the functional and end-of-line test stations that catch defects early, gate quality on the line, and turn production data into engineering action. As NEO scales into high-volume production, our work is what lets 1X grow without compromising quality.
Your Charter: Develop and own test systems for NEO's electronics and robotic subassemblies as they move from design release into high-volume production. This is a hands-on role spanning software, electronics, firmware, fixtures, and production operations — you'll own stations from requirements through deployment and long-term support. You won't just run tests; you'll build the systems that decide whether robot hardware ships.
Key Outcomes:
Own functional and end-of-line test stations for robot subassemblies (feet, head, battery, hands, arms, power boards) across their full lifecycle — requirements through deployment, maintenance, and corrective action.
Ship operator-facing test apps with guided flows, clear pass/fail verdicts, robust error handling, and unit-level traceability.
Improve station uptime, cycle time, test coverage, data quality, and deployment repeatability as production scales.
Reduce escaped defects by reproducing and resolving failures across hardware, firmware, software, instruments, fixtures, and process — driving corrective action when stations or products fail.
Connect results, serial numbers, board IDs, and logs into test-data systems so production data becomes actionable insight.
Key Competencies:
Strong software development in Python and C++ for test applications, instrument automation, and station infrastructure.
Systems thinking across electronics, firmware, software, robotics hardware, fixtures, and production processes.
Root-cause debugging grounded in data, logs, measurement, and controlled experimentation.
Hands-on hardware ability: reading schematics, probing boards, debugging signals, and using bench instrumentation.
Bias to action: makes decisions under production pressure, executes, and owns the result.
Minimum Requirements:
Background in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or equivalent practical experience.
Proficiency in Python and/or C++, with willingness to work in both.
Ability to read schematics and debug electronics at the board or subsystem level.
Exposure to embedded systems, microcontrollers, or protocols such as CAN, SPI, I2C, UART, Ethernet, or EtherCAT.
Hands-on experience with bench instrumentation (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, multimeters, programmable power supplies).
Preferred Skills:
Building production test stations, end-of-line testers, hardware-in-the-loop systems, or test infrastructure.
Robotics, electromechanical systems, motor controllers, sensors, actuators, batteries, embedded Linux, or real-time systems.
Deploying and maintaining software across multiple production PCs or factory stations.
Test-data pipelines, traceability, dashboards, WATS, MES, SQL, Splunk, or similar.
Linux, Docker, Git, CI/CD, Bazel, remote deployment, or automated station management.
AI-assisted development tools for faster software development, debugging, documentation, or fixture bring-up.
What does a successful 1X Team Member look like:
Team members at 1X who thrive here are builders. They move fast, own their work completely, and treat time like it’s the one thing you can’t get back - because it is. They say what they mean, finish what they start, and hold themselves to a standard before anyone has to ask. We push each other to be better, and we do it with honesty and respect.
Compensation Range:
$148,000 - $181,000 + Equity
Benefits:
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
Generous paid time off, company holidays, and parental leave
401(k) plan with company match (100% on the first 3% of contributions, 50% on the next 2%)
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) options
Commuter benefits (transit and parking)
Short-term and long-term disability, and life insurance
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for mental health, financial, and personal support
Onsite snacks and catered lunches
Equal Opportunity Employer
1X is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, disability, military or veteran status, justice system impact, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.