Robotics Test Engineer - San Francisco, CA

About the role

Pronto AI is a global leader in commercializing autonomous vehicle (AV) technology, deploying Autonomous Haulage Systems (AHS) that automate operations in mines, quarries, and construction sites worldwide. While much of the industry remains in R&D, we deliver real, production-ready autonomy that is already operating in the field. We are on a mission to make mining operations safer, smarter, and more efficient through cutting-edge technology, and we are building toward becoming the world's first profitable AV technology company.

Responsibilities

• Test Platform & Infrastructure - Design and build the core test infrastructure: harnesses, fixtures, runners, orchestration, and test artifact management for our ZMQ/Cap'n Proto middleware stack
• Simulation-Based Testing - Build the simulation infrastructure that lets us run autonomy software against virtual scenarios, with deterministic playback and meaningful coverage of real-world conditions
• CI/CD for Robotics - Build and maintain the testing pipeline that gates code changes - unit, integration, simulation, and replay-based regression - and integrate it cleanly into the developer workflow
• Log Replay & Recorded Scenario Testing - Build infrastructure that converts production logs into reproducible test cases the QA Engineer can curate and the dev team can run

Requirements

• 3+ years of software engineering experience, with significant work on testing infrastructure, developer tools, or distributed systems
• Strong Python - you'll write substantial code, much of it touching production-adjacent infrastructure
• Experience designing and building automation pipelines (CI/CD, test orchestration, build systems)
• Deep familiarity with at least one large-scale software platform - comfortable thinking in terms of APIs, abstractions, and platform usability
• Excellent debugging and systems thinking - you'll be reasoning about failures across simulation, networking, serialization, and CI infrastructure
• Comfort building greenfield - much of what you'll work on does not exist today
• Experience with robotics, autonomous vehicles, or other safety-critical systems
• Hands-on experience with simulation environments (Gazebo, CARLA, Isaac Sim, or proprietary)
• Familiarity with pub/sub messaging systems (ZMQ, ROS, DDS) and binary serialization formats (Cap'n Proto, Protobuf)
• C++ familiarity - enough to read and integrate against the autonomy stack
• Cloud infrastructure experience for parallel test execution (AWS/GCP, Kubernetes)
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop testing or real-time systems
• Performance engineering background - you've debugged and optimized slow CI/test pipelines before
• Technical Environment
• Languages: Python
• Test Frameworks: pytest, simulation-based
• Infrastructure: Docker, GitHub Actions, cloud compute for simulation
• Communication/Documentation: Slack, Notion
• Example Projects
• Build a simulation harness that runs the full autonomy stack against parameterized mining scenarios in cloud-based parallel execution
• Design a log-to-test-case pipeline that ingests a production log fragment and produces a deterministic replay test the QA Engineer can add to a regression suite
• Build a test platform dashboard that surfaces flaky tests, slow tests, and coverage gaps to the QA Engineer and developer lead
• Why join us
• Work on real, production-deployed autonomy.
• Build technology that directly improves safety, efficiency, and productivity.
• Tackle complex challenges in demanding, real-world environments.
• Be part of a fast-moving team with high ownership and impact.
• See your work deployed and making a difference in the field.
• Collaborate closely with experienced engineers and industry operators.
• What else you need to know
• The base salary range for this role is $298,000 - $376,000 per year.
• Actual compensation will be determined on an individual basis and may vary depending on experience, skills, and qualifications.
• Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package. You may also be eligible for equity awards and an annual performance-based bonus.
• Benefits Summary (USA Full-Time Exempt Employees):
• Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, and Life Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account / Health Savings Account Options
• 401(k)
• Equity
• Sick Time, Unlimited Flexible Time Off, and Paid Holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• Pre-Tax Commuter Benefit Plan
• Team lunch in our SoMa office every Tuesday and Thursday
• Benefits are subject to change at the company's discretion.
• Pronto accepts applications on an ongoing basis.
• Ready to join us as we serve those who serve others?
• #LI-Onsite

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