Work with cutting edge technology, making the world a safer and more secure place. DroneShield (ASX:DRO) offers an opportunity to solve some of the world’s most challenging technical problems in Electronic Warfare, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, RF sensing, Sensor Fusion and distributed systems. Working with high profile customers across militaries, government agencies, airports, critical infrastructure, law enforcement and many others.
With one of the largest listed defence company market capitalisations in Australia and having raised approximately $250m in 2024 alone, DroneShield is undergoing hypergrowth stage, fuelled by rapidly increasing use of drones for nefarious applications, from battlefield, to terrorism, to contraband delivery and commercial espionage.
This role is in the DroneShield Sydney headquarters in Pyrmont, Sydney. There are approximately 300 staff based in the 4,000sqm facility today, scheduled to grow to approximately 400 staff by end of 2025. Overseas on the ground presence includes USA, Denmark, Mexico, and UAE, as well as distributors in over 70 countries globally.

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• BS degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or similar technical field of study or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years managing Quality Engineering teams with proven experience in testing best practices, testing frameworks, test data management, continuous integration practices and developing quality engineering teams within a technology organisation.
• Proven experience managing end-to-end testing on complex, large-scale systems, application or projects.
• Deep understanding of test strategy development, methodologies, test planning and execution, and risk-based testing approaches.
• Strong experience in Embedded systems testing, hardware/software integration, or sensor-driven platforms.
• Proven expertise in Test Automation development using Python, or TypeScript.
• Deep understanding of API and UI test automation, as well as manual exploratory testing practices.
• Experience with test management tools (e.g., Jira/X-ray, TestRail) and CI/CD pipelines using Gitlab.
• Strong communication skills and a proven ability to work cross-functionally in Agile/Scrum environments.
• Understanding of hardware development lifecycles, and firmware testing.
• Knowledge of cloud platforms (AWS) and DevOps environments preferred.
  Note for recruitment agencies: We do not accept unsolicited candidates from external recruiters unless specifically instructed.

ABOUT THE ROLE

DroneShield is seeking a highly experienced QA Manager to lead the QA Team across a portfolio of Software and Embedded Systems, with a focus on automation, integration, and cross-platform reliability. Based in Sydney, this position reports directly to the VP of Quality Engineering and will manage both Software and Embedded QA teams. You will work closely with Systems Engineering, Product Developers, Verification and Validation, Test & Evaluation and Support to ensure comprehensive quality oversight throughout the entire product lifecycle, from concept to deployment. This role will oversee the quality assurance of high-throughput, real-time systems that integrate machine learning algorithms, advanced sensor technologies, effector components, and embedded control software. Your team will work closely with the Sensors and Effector teams to validate complex hardware and software interactions through API validation, interface testing, and end-to-end systems integration testing. A deep understanding of software-hardware interoperability is crucial for delivering scalable and resilient products.
The ideal candidate will bring demonstrated expertise in automated testing, CI/CD pipeline integration, and shift-left quality practices, combined with the ability to create and drive a unified QA strategy across technical domains. You will be responsible for implementing automation coverage at every layer of the systems and development cycles. This includes owning test infrastructure, test documentation, and release readiness practices across multiple development teams. In addition to strong technical depth, this position requires strategic leadership capabilities to foster a culture of engineering discipline, ownership, continuous improvement, and cross-border transparency. You will play a key role in scaling the QA capability in Australia, improving visibility into quality metrics, and aligning QA efforts with the organisation’s long-term technology strategy.