# Systems Test Engineer, End-to-End Validation | Consumer Devices
**Company:** [OpenAI](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/openai)
Join OpenAI's Consumer Devices team as a Systems Test Engineer specializing in end-to-end validation for next-generation AI hardware products. Design and execute comprehensive system-level testing across hardware, software, cloud services, connectivity, and accessories while building the validation foundation for an entirely new product category. You'll combine hands-on debugging, test automation, and cross-functional collaboration to ensure reliable device experiences that seamlessly integrate complex hardware-software ecosystems.
**Role:** Test Engineer
**Seniority:** Mid
**Locations:** San Francisco
**Salary:** 230000–290000 USD
[Apply](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/openai/393b88d7-1fbc-466a-9108-a7c1bafeb8d8)
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/jobs/openai/systems-test-engineer-end-to-end-validation-consumer-devices
---
## Responsibilities

- Design End-to-End Test Coverage Architecture: Develop comprehensive structured test plans and reproducible validation procedures for complex user journeys, realistic usage patterns, edge cases, degraded connectivity scenarios, and multi-component failure modes. Create test matrices that span device firmware, software applications, cloud backend services, network connectivity protocols, and third-party accessories to ensure no critical integration point escapes validation.
- Build and Operate Advanced Test Environments: Establish and maintain sophisticated lab setups encompassing production devices, test servers, network infrastructure, controlled environmental chambers, account provisioning systems, and peripheral accessories. Execute comprehensive release validation campaigns, track results across test runs, identify blocking issues, communicate technical risks to stakeholders, and maintain environment documentation for reproducibility.
- Reproduce Complex Failures and Provide Diagnostic Evidence: Systematically reproduce elusive hardware-software integration failures by isolating contributing components across the device stack. Collect comprehensive logs, telemetry data, and network traces; perform root cause analysis; and provide engineering teams with detailed reproduction steps, supporting evidence, environmental conditions, and recommended investigation paths.
- Identify and Implement Test Automation Opportunities: Evaluate manual testing workflows to identify high-value scenarios suitable for automation. Develop tooling, scripts, and frameworks for device control, automated setup procedures, measurement collection, telemetry extraction, and test execution using Python and similar scripting languages while maintaining judgment about when manual testing provides superior coverage.
- Expand Regression Test Coverage from Production Insights: Convert field-discovered issues, production failures, and previously identified bugs into durable regression test procedures. Maintain and evolve regression test coverage across successive product releases, ensuring that resolved issues remain resolved and that integration improvements persist through development iterations.
- Collaborate Across Engineering Disciplines: Partner with embedded systems engineers, firmware developers, cloud services teams, hardware design engineers, QA automation specialists, and product managers to understand system behavior, improve device testability, close validation gaps, and influence architectural decisions that enhance end-to-end testing feasibility.

## Requirements

### education

- {"name":"Computer Science or Electrical Engineering Foundation","description":"Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent professional experience demonstrating deep understanding of hardware-software integration concepts, networking protocols, and systems architecture."}

### technical

- {"name":"System-Level Integration Testing","description":"Proven experience designing and executing system-level, integration, end-to-end, or validation testing for complex hardware-software products. Demonstrated ability to work across multiple layers of a device stack including hardware, firmware, software, connectivity, and services."}
- {"name":"Test Procedure Development","description":"Skill in translating ambiguous product behavior specifications into clear, repeatable, and measurable test procedures with well-defined preconditions, step sequences, expected results, and success criteria that can be consistently executed across multiple test cycles."}
- {"name":"Multi-System Testing","description":"Experience validating systems that integrate devices, networks, backend services, mobile applications, connected accessories, and cross-platform functionality. Understanding of how to identify and test integration points where component failures cascade into system-level issues."}
- {"name":"Hands-On Debugging and Diagnostics","description":"Comfort and skill working with system logs, diagnostic utilities, command-line tools, network analysis tools, device configuration utilities, packet analyzers, and serial communications. Ability to methodically isolate failures across hardware, firmware, software, connectivity, and cloud service layers."}
- {"name":"Test Automation with Python","description":"Experience automating tests or test setups using Python or similar scripting languages. Practical understanding of when to automate versus when manual testing provides better coverage, test data generation, and maintainability considerations for test automation frameworks."}

### experience

- {"name":"Hardware-Software Integration Testing","description":"Minimum 3-4 years validating complex products that integrate hardware and software components, particularly consumer devices, IoT platforms, or connected systems where hardware-firmware-software interactions create testing complexity."}
- {"name":"Cross-Functional Test Leadership","description":"Experience collaborating with diverse engineering teams including embedded systems, firmware, backend services, and hardware teams. Demonstrated ability to communicate technical findings clearly to engineers from different disciplines and influence testing strategies."}
- {"name":"Complex Lab Environment Management","description":"Hands-on experience building, maintaining, and troubleshooting sophisticated test environments with multiple interconnected systems, network configurations, environmental controls, and preconditioned test data or accounts."}

## Skills

### required

- {"name":"System Integration Testing Methodology","description":"Expert-level knowledge of end-to-end testing strategies, test coverage models, failure scenario identification, and validation approaches for hardware-software systems."}
- {"name":"Python Scripting and Automation","description":"Production-level proficiency writing Python scripts for test automation, device control, data collection, and test infrastructure tooling."}
- {"name":"Diagnostic Tools and Protocols","description":"Proficiency with network analysis tools (Wireshark, tcpdump), system logging utilities, device debugging interfaces (UART, JTAG), SSH/terminal interfaces, and hardware diagnostic platforms."}
- {"name":"Test Environment Architecture","description":"Ability to design test lab environments with proper isolation, reproducibility, configuration management, and documentation to enable reliable failure reproduction and consistent test execution."}
- {"name":"Failure Analysis and Root Cause Investigation","description":"Methodical approach to reproducing failures, gathering evidence across hardware and software layers, performing root cause analysis, and documenting findings with clear reproduction steps."}
- {"name":"Cross-Functional Communication","description":"Clear technical writing and verbal communication skills for explaining complex system failures to engineers from different specialties, providing actionable evidence and reproduction guidance."}

### preferred

- {"name":"Consumer Electronics Testing Experience","description":"Background testing consumer devices, smartphones, wearables, smart home products, or similar consumer-grade hardware-software systems where user experience and reliability directly impact market success."}
- {"name":"Cloud Services and API Testing","description":"Experience validating cloud backend systems, REST APIs, microservices architectures, and connectivity flows to understand how device-cloud integration affects end-to-end user experience."}
- {"name":"Accessibility and Real-World Condition Testing","description":"Experience testing devices under diverse real-world operating conditions, environmental stressors, network degradation scenarios, and accessibility constraints to validate robustness beyond controlled lab conditions."}
- {"name":"CI/CD and Test Infrastructure","description":"Familiarity with continuous integration systems, automated test orchestration, test data management, and results tracking platforms used in modern software development environments."}
- {"name":"Firmware and Embedded Systems Knowledge","description":"Understanding of embedded systems concepts, firmware development workflows, bootloaders, hardware abstraction layers, and how these interact with application-level software to create testable system interfaces."}
- {"name":"Mobile Application Testing","description":"Experience testing iOS or Android applications that integrate with hardware devices or backend services, understanding mobile-specific testing challenges and platform-specific behaviors."}

## Tech stack

### tools

- {"name":"Wireshark / tcpdump","description":"Network packet analysis tools essential for debugging connectivity issues, analyzing device-cloud communication, identifying protocol violations, and troubleshooting network-related failures."}
- {"name":"Serial Debugging Interfaces (UART/JTAG)","description":"Low-level debugging access to device firmware and hardware components, enabling deep system diagnostics and real-time firmware behavior observation during testing."}
- {"name":"SSH and Remote Device Access","description":"Secure command-line access to devices and test infrastructure for remote configuration, log collection, telemetry extraction, and automated test execution."}
- {"name":"Git Version Control","description":"Collaborative version control for test scripts, test procedures documentation, test data, and infrastructure-as-code definitions to maintain reproducibility across test environments."}
- {"name":"Test Management and Tracking Systems","description":"Platforms for documenting test cases, tracking test results, managing test coverage metrics, and communicating test status across engineering teams and stakeholders."}
- {"name":"Cloud Console and API Tools","description":"Command-line interfaces and SDKs for interacting with cloud backend services, provisioning test accounts, managing device authentication, and simulating cloud-side failures for validation."}

### others

- {"name":"Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) Testing","description":"Specialized testing approach that integrates physical devices with simulation environments to validate complex device-cloud and device-accessory interactions in controlled laboratory conditions."}
- {"name":"System Logging and Telemetry Collection","description":"Expertise in capturing, aggregating, and analyzing comprehensive system logs from devices, cloud services, and network infrastructure to diagnose complex multi-component failures."}
- {"name":"Environmental Test Chambers and Controlled Conditions","description":"Understanding of temperature, humidity, and environmental control systems used to validate device reliability across realistic operating conditions and stress scenarios."}
- {"name":"Test Data Management and Provisioning","description":"Strategies for creating, maintaining, and provisioning consistent test data including user accounts, device configurations, simulation data, and reference datasets across test cycles."}

### databases

### languages

- {"name":"Python","description":"Primary scripting language for test automation, device control scripts, test data generation, and test infrastructure tooling in modern QA environments."}
- {"name":"Bash/Shell Scripting","description":"Essential for command-line device control, SSH automation, log analysis, and integration with Linux-based test infrastructure and CI/CD systems."}

### frameworks

- {"name":"pytest","description":"Modern Python testing framework for organizing, parameterizing, and executing automated test suites with comprehensive reporting and fixture management."}
- {"name":"Robot Framework","description":"Keyword-driven test automation framework suitable for hardware-software integration testing with device control, sensor interaction, and complex multi-step scenario execution."}

## Benefits

### benefits

- {"name":"Cutting-Edge AI Hardware Development","description":"Contribute to groundbreaking consumer AI devices at OpenAI's Consumer Devices division, working on next-generation products that define an entirely new product category and shape how billions of people experience AI technology."}
- {"name":"Hybrid Work Arrangement (4 Days On-Site)","description":"Flexible work model requiring four days in the San Francisco office per week with one day for remote work, enabling strong team collaboration while maintaining work-life balance flexibility."}
- {"name":"Relocation Assistance","description":"Comprehensive support for relocating to San Francisco, including assistance with moving logistics and housing considerations to facilitate your transition to OpenAI's headquarters."}
- {"name":"World-Class Technical Team Collaboration","description":"Work alongside exceptional researchers, engineers, designers, and operators from diverse backgrounds who share a deep commitment to creating safe, responsible, and beneficial AI technology."}
- {"name":"Zero-to-One Product Development Opportunity","description":"Shape foundational validation processes and testing architectures from prototype through launch, building the testing infrastructure and methodologies for an entirely new product line rather than optimizing existing processes."}
- {"name":"Cross-Functional Impact","description":"Influence product quality and design decisions by working directly with hardware engineers, firmware teams, cloud services architects, and product leadership to identify and resolve complex integration challenges."}

## Compensation

- **max:** 280000
- **min:** 160000
- **currency:** USD
- **stockOptions:** true

## Interview process

### steps

- {"name":"Initial Screening and Application Review","description":"OpenAI's recruiting team reviews your resume and application materials, evaluating your relevant system-level testing experience, technical depth, and demonstrated interest in hardware-software integration challenges specific to consumer devices."}
- {"name":"Phone Screening with Hiring Manager","description":"Initial conversation with the hiring manager covering your background in systems testing, specific examples of complex hardware-software issues you've debugged, your approach to building test environments, and your understanding of OpenAI's mission and consumer devices focus."}
- {"name":"Technical Assessment and Case Study Discussion","description":"In-depth discussion of your technical approach to designing end-to-end validation procedures, debugging methodology, and test automation strategy. You may be presented with hypothetical complex device failure scenarios requiring explanation of your diagnostic and test design approach."}
- {"name":"Cross-Functional Team Interviews","description":"Meetings with systems engineers, firmware developers, and other members of the Consumer Devices team to assess your ability to collaborate across engineering disciplines, communicate complex technical concepts clearly, and understand diverse perspective on validation requirements."}
- {"name":"Systems Design and Problem-Solving Round","description":"Deeper technical conversation focused on designing test coverage for complex hardware-software systems, architectural decisions for test environments, automation tooling choices, and your systematic approach to ensuring comprehensive validation of interconnected components."}
- {"name":"Final Round with Leadership","description":"Discussion with senior leadership covering your understanding of AI hardware testing challenges, your long-term vision for building sustainable validation infrastructure, your alignment with OpenAI's mission, and questions about the role, team, and company culture."}

## Full description
## **About the Team**

OpenAI Consumer Devices is building the next generation of products that bring powerful AI into people’s everyday lives. Guided by OpenAI’s mission to ensure AGI benefits all of humanity, our team combines world-class researchers, engineers, designers, and operators who care deeply about creating useful, intuitive, and responsible technology. You’ll have the opportunity to work alongside exceptional people on ambitious, zero-to-one challenges at the intersection of hardware, software, and AI. This is a chance to help define an entirely new category of products—and shape how people experience AI in the future.

The Systems Integration team is critical in this mission, turning complex hardware-software development into reliable product signals. We validate complete device experiences across software, cloud services, connectivity, accessories, and real-world operating environments, combining hands-on system testing, structured test development, hardware-in-the-loop environments, diagnostics, and automation to uncover issues that component-level testing alone cannot reveal.

## **About the Role**

As a **Systems Test Engineer, End-to-End Validation**, you will design and execute end-to-end testing for complex device experiences spanning hardware, software, connectivity, cloud services, and accessories. You’ll translate product behavior and real-world use cases into structured, reproducible test procedures and build test environments that allow failures to be reliably reproduced and diagnosed.

You’ll also identify opportunities to automate repetitive or high-value scenarios, working with engineers to turn complex manual workflows into scalable validation systems. Because this is a new category of devices, you’ll have the opportunity to build the end-to-end validation foundation early—shaping test coverage, environments, and workflows from prototype through launch.

We’re looking for someone who combines strong systems thinking, hands-on testing skills, technical curiosity, and a rigorous approach to reproducing and diagnosing failures across multiple components.

This role is based in San Francisco, CA. We use a hybrid work model of four days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance to new employees.

### **In this role, you will:**

* **Design end-to-end test coverage:** Develop structured test plans and reproducible procedures for user journeys, realistic usage patterns, edge cases, degraded conditions, and failure scenarios across devices, services, connectivity, and accessories.
* **Build and operate complex test environments:** Maintain setups involving devices, servers, networks, accounts, peripherals, accessories, and controlled environmental conditions; prepare devices and environments for release validation, execute test campaigns, track results, and communicate risks and blocking issues.
* **Reproduce failures and diagnose systems:** Reproduce complex failures, isolate contributing components, collect logs and telemetry, and provide engineers with clear reproduction steps and supporting evidence.
* **Automate high-value scenarios:** Identify repeatable manual workflows that benefit from automation and develop or partner on tooling for device control, setup, measurement, data collection, and test execution.
* **Strengthen regression coverage:** Convert field issues, production failures, and previously discovered bugs into repeatable regression tests and maintain coverage across product releases.
* **Partner across teams:** Work with embedded, systems, cloud, hardware, QA, and product teams to understand system behavior, improve testability, and close gaps in validation coverage.

### **Minimum Qualifications**

* Experience with system-level, integration, end-to-end, or validation testing for complex hardware-software products.
* Skill in translating loosely defined product behavior into clear, repeatable, and measurable test procedures.
* Experience testing systems that span devices, networks, backend services, mobile applications, or connected accessories.

### **You might thrive in this role if you:**

* Enjoy hands-on debugging and can methodically isolate failures across hardware, firmware, software, connectivity, and cloud services.
* Are comfortable working with logs, diagnostics, command-line tools, network tools, and device configuration utilities.
* Have experience automating tests or test setups using Python or similar scripting tools, while recognizing when manual testing provides better coverage.
* Understand how to create reliable test environments with controlled setup, configuration, preconditions, expected results, and recovery procedures.
* Are comfortable working across engineering disciplines and communicating complex failures with clear evidence and reproducible steps.

**About OpenAI**

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. We push the boundaries of the capabilities of AI systems and seek to safely deploy them to the world through our products. AI is an extremely powerful tool that must be created with safety and human needs at its core, and to achieve our mission, we must encompass and value the many different perspectives, voices, and experiences that form the full spectrum of humanity. 

We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. 

For additional information, please see [OpenAI’s Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement](https://cdn.openai.com/policies/eeo-policy-statement.pdf).

Background checks for applicants will be administered in accordance with applicable law, and qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment consistent with those laws, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act, for US-based candidates. For unincorporated Los Angeles County workers: we reasonably believe that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship with the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment: protect computer hardware entrusted to you from theft, loss or damage; return all computer hardware in your possession (including the data contained therein) upon termination of employment or end of assignment; and maintain the confidentiality of proprietary, confidential, and non-public information. In addition, job duties require access to secure and protected information technology systems and related data security obligations.

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At OpenAI, we believe artificial intelligence has the potential to help people solve immense global challenges, and we want the upside of AI to be widely shared. Join us in shaping the future of technology.