QA Engineer - Maritime Systems (all genders)

About Us

STARK is a European defence technology company founded in 2023, specialising in the development and production of advanced UAV and USV systems for modern military operations. Our flagship platform, Virtus, is a next-generation VTOL loitering munition system, and we are rapidly expanding our software and autonomy capabilities to deploy Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) for maritime surveillance and security.

We're focused on delivering deployable, high-performance systems—not future promises. In a time of rising threats, STARK is bolstering the technological edge of NATO Allies and their Partners to deter aggression and defend Europe—today.

About the team

Minerva is STARK's command and control software — the brain that connects operators to autonomous systems across multiple domains in real time. The Minerva team is a small, senior software group based across the UK, Germany, Greece & Ukraine working directly with our systems and hardware teams to build mission-critical C2 capabilities deployed in active operational environments.

We move fast, ship real software, and operate under constraints most engineers never encounter — low-bandwidth networks, air-gapped devices, and high-stakes decision loops. There is no room for abstraction for its own sake. Everything we build ends up in the hands of real operators in the field.

Your mission

We are seeking a highly skilled QA Engineer to take ownership of system-level and integration testing for our maritime autonomy platforms and prototype boats. You will bridge the gap between pure software quality assurance and hardware/software integration, working hands-on with hardware, software, and communication interfaces—both in the laboratory and out in the field on prototype vessels.

Responsibilities

• Test Strategy & Execution: Develop and maintain test plans, scripts, integration procedures, and safety checklists for embedded marine solutions.

• Diagnostics & Defect Localization: Perform hardware/software diagnostics, defect localization, and root-cause analysis on physical prototype boats.

• System Integration Testing: Validate how pure software components interface and integrate with marine autopilots, thrusters, steering systems, and payload hardware.

• Interface Protocols: Test and verify communication interfaces and protocols (MAVLink, RS485, TCP/IP, RTSP video streaming) as part of diagnostics and system verification.

• Marine Safety Validation: Verify critical safety-critical fail-safe mechanisms including remote emergency shutdowns, geolocation geofencing, and offline update/recovery systems.

• Loop Testing Support: Help setup, maintain, and run tests in Software-in-the-Loop (SITL) and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HITL) test environments.

• Collaboration: Interact closely with software development, systems, and field flight/marine testing teams to log, track, and eliminate errors in a timely manner.

• Documentation: Prepare clear testing reports, bug reports, and product stability/safety reviews in Jira and Confluence.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3+ years of experience in hardware testing, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, or embedded systems QA.

• Strong understanding of software testing theory (functional, integration, system, regression) combined with hands-on hardware troubleshooting.

• Experience working with embedded communication protocols (MAVLink, CAN, RS485, etc.).

• Strong knowledge of Linux systems and experience writing test scripts in Bash and/or Python.

• Familiarity with test management tools (Jira, Confluence) and version control (Git).

• Basic understanding of electronics, multimeters, and laboratory diagnostics equipment.

• Ability to write clear, structured test documentation and reports in English.

• Willingness and ability to work on physical boats during harbor/sea trials and in field-testing environments.

STARK Defence UK has achieved the ERS - The Defence Employer Recognition Bronze award  2026

Talent Contact:
Sally Grütte-Pad, Interim Lead TA Partner, via talent@stark-defence.com

Nice to have

• Prior experience in marine robotics, maritime autopilots, USVs, UAVs, or marine electronics.

• A valid marine boating license or experience with outdoor maritime testing operations.

About us

SECURITY CLEARANCE
Due to the nature of our work in the defence sector, candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain the appropriate security clearance required for this position. Details will be provided during the recruitment process.


EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
We are an equal-opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.