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# Software Engineer - Test Automation

- **Company:** Background Images, Inc.
- **Location:** San Francisco, CA, United States
- **Contract:** Permanent contract
- **Skills:** Clean Code Principles, Automation of Tests, Software Debugging, Firmware, Python (Programming Language), Software Reliability Testing, Signal Integrity, Software Engineering, Build Management
- **Published:** July 17, 2026
- **Apply:** https://www.dice.com/job-detail/4d81be12-0699-4001-802e-5240a468aaca

## About the Role

* Strong Python - You've built test frameworks, automation systems, or production tooling in Python. You write structured, maintainable code, not one-off scripts.
 * Rust and/or C - You can write low-level code that interfaces directly with hardware- serial protocols, custom test equipment, or embedded targets. Broad electronics knowledge - You can read schematics, identify test points, understand signal integrity basics, and probe a board to debug a failure. You don't need to design the circuit, but you need to understand it.
 * Mechanical intuition - You can think about fixtures, enclosures, thermals, and how a unit physically sits in a test nest. You can spec a fixture and work with a vendor to get it built.
 * Project management and timeline ownership - You manage your own deliverables. You communicate status, flag risks early, and deliver on schedule without being chased.
 * Manufacturing floor experience - You've worked in or closely with a production environment. You understand the difference between something that works on your bench and something that works at rate on the floor.

## Description

* Test fixture and software development - Design and build test fixtures and write the software that drives them. Python for orchestration and high-level logic, Rust for low-level hardware communication and performance-critical paths.
 * Qualification and reliability testing - Build rigs that demonstrate designs can survive years of environmental stress while maintaining performance. Ensure design changes are qualified before they reach the production line.
 * Test requirements and design for testability - Engage early in the design process with HW, FW, and ME teams to drive testability requirements into the design and define what gets tested, at what stage, and to what pass/fail criteria. Translate engineering intent into executable test specifications that cover qualification, production, and hardware-in-theloop scenarios.
 * Cross-domain debugging - When units fail in unexpected ways, dig across mechanical, electrical, and software boundaries to find root cause. Understand schematics, probe test points, and read firmware logs.
 * Failure analysis - In the inevitable cases where units fail in the field, interrogate root causes and integrate the lessons into future testing to avoid repeating these mistakes


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