QA & Test Engineer at Fusion Fund-backed autonomy safety startup

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.