You will own the verification and test program for NEXUS, a real-time safety guardian for autonomous systems. As the first QA hire, you will build a certification-grade test function from scratch, defining processes for DO-178C DAL B compliance and ensuring AI-driven behaviors remain safe across defense, space, and maritime domains.
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QA & Test Engineer at SAIF Autonomy
As autonomous systems move from labs to the real world, the critical question is trust. This Fusion Fund-backed startup is building NEXUS, a real-time safety guardian that acts as a runtime assurance layer for AI-driven platforms. They are looking for a QA & Test Engineer to own their verification program as they move through DO-178C certification for high-profile clients like the UK Ministry of Defence and the European Space Agency. If you have experience in safety-critical aerospace or defense software and want to build a test function from the ground up in an agile, high-impact environment, this is your chance to shape the future of certifiable AI.
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Location
Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
Compensation
Not Disclosed + Equity
Company
SAIF Autonomy Ltd
Role overview
Software
SAIF Autonomy Ltd is a UK-based company that provides safeguards for autonomous systems controlled via either embodied/Physical AI or traditional deterministic autonomy. Its flagship NEXUS software is a modular Runtime Assurance (RTA) solution that continuously monitors system behaviour at the edge, prevents unsafe actions, and ensures compliance with regulator-specified safeguards and user-defined constraints in safety-critical applications across commercial and defence sectors.[1][2][3][4]
What you will do
- Build and manage the verification artifacts and test campaigns required for DO-178C certification, moving from DAL B toward DAL A compliance.
- Design and execute requirements-based testing and structural coverage analysis using tools like Rapita, Matlab Simulink, and Codebeamer for safety-critical C++/MISRA C code.
- Collaborate with the founding team to establish a rigorous, automated test culture that supports autonomous drones, ground vehicles, and maritime platforms.
Who this is a fit for
- Proven experience testing safety-critical software in aerospace (DO-178C), automotive (ISO 26262), or defense (DEF-STAN 00-56) sectors.
- Deep technical proficiency with verification and ALM tools such as Rapita, LDRA, VectorCAST, or Polyspace within a certified environment.
- Must be a UK national or hold/be eligible for SC clearance, with a preference for a hands-on builder who thrives in a small, autonomous startup team.
Why this role is remarkable
- Lead safety-critical verification for NEXUS, a runtime assurance platform that acts as an independent safety layer between AI decisions and the physical world for clients like DSTL and the European Space Agency.
- High-impact founding team environment where you will shape the entire QA strategy and interface directly with airworthiness authorities like the MAA and EASA as the company scales globally.
- Direct involvement in the cutting edge of physical AI, moving autonomous systems from research labs to certifiable real-world deployment in mission-critical environments where failure is not an option.
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If your profile’s a match and SAIF Autonomy Ltd wants to meet, Jill will make the intro. In the meantime, Jack will send you excellent alternatives.