Software Engineer in Test, Core Technology (12-month contract)
Location: Hong Kong
Type: 12-month contract (with possibility of conversion to full-time permanent role)
The Role
As a Software Engineer in Test at Nex, you will own stability and reliability testing for the Motion Development Kit (MDK), firmware, and hardware modules that power Nex Playground's AOSP-based motion-sensing device. You will build automated test frameworks, stress/soak testing infrastructure, and validation tools that catch instability, regressions, and hardware-integration failures before they reach production. You will work closely with the Framework Engineering and firmware/hardware teams to embed testability across the full Android stack, from low-level sensor drivers and HAL layers up through the MDK APIs that game developers build on .
This role sits within a small, highly technical team that values both specialization and collaboration, with clear ownership of quality across core technology areas .
The Mindset
You are drawn to solving hard reliability problems in systems where hardware, firmware, and Android software all have to work together flawlessly, day after day. You care deeply about long-run stability, not just passing a test once, but proving a system holds up under sustained load, edge cases, and real-world conditions. You thrive in environments where deep systems debugging, Android/AOSP internals knowledge, and rigorous testing discipline directly shape what the platform can confidently ship .
What You'll Do
Design and build automated stability and reliability test frameworks for the Motion Development Kit (MDK), firmware, and hardware modules on an AOSP-based platform
Develop soak testing, stress testing, and endurance testing pipelines to surface memory leaks, crashes, thermal issues, ANRs, and long-running failures
Build test harnesses and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) rigs to validate sensor, camera, and motion-tracking hardware under real and simulated conditions
Create regression suites for firmware, HAL, and MDK releases, integrated into CI/CD to catch stability issues pre-release
Investigate, reproduce, and drive root-cause analysis of field failures, crashes, kernel panics, and intermittent hardware/firmware defects using Android bug reports, logcat, and kernel logs
Define and track reliability metrics such as MTBF, crash rates, ANR rates, and failure recurrence across hardware revisions and firmware/AOSP builds
Partner with firmware, hardware, and platform engineers to define quality gates and exit criteria for new hardware/firmware/AOSP releases
Write clean, well-tested test code and tooling that raises the engineering bar across the team
Build dashboards and reporting for test coverage, defect trends, and release stability
Participate in code reviews and contribute to shared tools, infrastructure, and cross-role projects (20% Time)
Work with the dual-leadership model (Engineering Manager and Tech Lead) to align on quality priorities and technical direction
Document test strategies, systems, and findings to support team knowledge sharing
What You Bring
3+ years of professional experience in software test engineering, reliability engineering, or QA for embedded/firmware, Android, or hardware-integrated systems
Proficiency in Python, with experience in at least one systems language (C++, C#, Java, Rust, or Go)
Hands-on experience with stability, stress, soak, or endurance testing methodologies
Experience testing Android/AOSP platforms, HAL, embedded firmware, device drivers, or hardware modules (sensors, motion tracking, cameras, or similar)
Strong debugging skills across hardware, firmware, and software layers, including logcat, kernel logs, bug reports, logic analyzers, or serial/hardware diagnostics
Experience building or maintaining CI/CD pipelines and automated regression suites
Preferred
Experience with AOSP build systems (Soong/Make), Android Test Harness, or Vendor Test Suite (VTS)/Compatibility Test Suite (CTS)
Experience with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test rig design and automation
Familiarity with embedded Linux, Android kernel internals, and Treble/HAL architecture
Knowledge of communication protocols (I2C, SPI, UART, BLE) used in sensor and firmware integration
Experience with reliability metrics and frameworks (MTBF, FMEA, fault injection testing)
Familiarity with motion sensing, IMUs, computer vision, or signal processing validation
Experience working in small, high-performance technical teams
Background in consumer electronics, robotics, or Android-based hardware products
Passion for pushing reliability standards and deep root-cause problem-solving