Embedded Quality Assurance Engineer Lead

Job Title: Embedded QA Engineer – Lead

Location:
Lahore

Job Type: Full-time

Department:
Engineering / Quality Assurance

Company Overview

SmartEnds is a fast-growing Belgian scale-up specializing in IoT solutions across various industries such as smart cities, waste collection, automotive, and logistics. Our flagship product, BrighterBins, is a leading IoT-enabled waste management platform powered by modular sensors, edge computing, and cloud-based intelligence.

As we continue to expand our hardware and firmware development teams, we are looking for a skilled Embedded QA Engineer – Lead to ensure the highest level of product quality across all embedded platforms.

Job Objective

To lead the embedded quality assurance function by designing, implementing, and maintaining robust test processes for firmware, embedded systems, hardware–firmware integration, and device functionality. The role will ensure that all SmartEnds devices meet the required performance, safety, and reliability standards before deployment.

Key Responsibilities

Quality Assurance Leadership

Lead the Embedded QA team and define long-term quality strategies for embedded and IoT devices.

Develop, implement, and continuously improve QA processes, frameworks, and test methodologies.

Firmware & Embedded Testing

Design and execute test plans for embedded firmware, communication protocols, and hardware–software integration.

Validate microcontroller-based systems (STM32, ESP32, etc.) including GPIOs, ADCs, UART, I2C, SPI, PWM, sensors, and power systems.

Perform regression, functional, stress, environmental, and performance testing.

Automation & Tools

Build automated test environments for firmware validation where possible.

Develop scripts, tools, or testing fixtures for repetitive or complex tests.

Collaboration & Reviews

Work closely with Firmware, Hardware, and R&D teams to identify issues and ensure timely closure.

Participate in design reviews and provide QA insights for new features or hardware revisions.

Defect Tracking & Reporting

Track, document, and report bugs clearly using an issue management system.

Ensure critical issues are escalated and resolved efficiently.

Prepare weekly quality reports for management.

Compliance & Documentation

Maintain detailed test cases, test results, quality documentation, and verification reports.

Ensure compliance with internal and external quality standards relevant to IoT and embedded systems.

Continuous Improvement

Analyze failures, identify root causes, and recommend corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).

Suggest improvements in product design, firmware architecture, or production testing based on QA findings.

Requirements

Education

Bachelor's degree in:

Electrical Engineering

Electronics Engineering

Experience

Minimum 3 years of experience in embedded systems testing.

Experience leading QA teams or taking ownership of QA processes.

Technical Skills

Strong understanding of embedded systems, microcontrollers, and sensor interfaces.

Hands-on experience with STM32, ESP32, or similar MCU platforms.

Knowledge of communication protocols: UART, SPI, I2C, Modbus, LoRa, BLE, WiFi.

Understanding of power measurements, battery-powered electronics, and device performance testing.

Experience with test equipment: oscilloscope, logic analyzer, multimeter, power analyzer.

Familiarity with firmware flashing, debugging tools (ST-Link, JTAG), and version control (Git).

Experience with test automation scripting (Python preferred).

Soft Skills

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Excellent documentation and reporting abilities.

Good communication and collaboration skills.

Ability to mentor juniors and lead cross-functional QA activities.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Reduction in firmware and hardware bugs in production.

Thorough and complete test coverage for all embedded features.

Timely release of quality reports and defect closure rates.

Effective collaboration with design and firmware teams.

Implementation of automated testing and test process improvements.