Autonomous Vehicle Test Technician

Rivers Agile is a deep tech consulting firm specializing in custom solutions across various industries. Founded in 2008 as a quality assurance consultancy, we have expanded our expertise to include autonomous solutions, Agentive AI, and XR research. Our strong foundation in quality assurance ensures efficient, agile software development while aligning every solution with business goals.

Our collaborative team of software engineers, QA engineers, and project managers partners closely with clients to tackle complex challenges. We seek engineers who are lifelong learners, passionate about their craft, and defined by their unique personality, experience, and style.

Location: This is primarily an onsite position in the northern Pittsburgh metro area. Candidates must be local or willing to relocate.

About the Role

This role focuses on testing and validating autonomous vehicle and warehouse automation systems operating in realistic environments. You will work directly with AGVs, industrial sensors, wireless systems, and integrated hardware/software platforms to identify issues, validate behavior, and help engineering teams improve overall system reliability.

This is not a purely procedural testing role. While structured test execution is important, strong candidates also think critically, investigate unexpected behavior, explore edge cases, and help uncover difficult real-world issues that may not appear under ideal conditions.

The work often involves repetitive and long-duration testing where subtle behavioral changes, intermittent failures, environmental conditions, or gradual instability may reveal deeper system problems.

What You’ll Do

• Execute structured, exploratory, and long-duration testing of autonomous vehicle systems in warehouse environments
• Operate and observe AGVs during realistic workflows and operational scenarios
• Validate pallet handling, positioning, navigation, sensor behavior, and vehicle interactions
• Develop and execute edge-case and non-ideal test scenarios intended to challenge system assumptions
• Observe for intermittent failures, degraded behavior, instability, communication problems, and unexpected system responses
• Capture detailed observations, logs, timestamps, environmental conditions, screenshots, videos, and reproduction steps
• Communicate findings clearly to software, robotics, and engineering teams
• Help isolate issues involving sensors, wireless communication, industrial networking, vehicle controls, or integrated software systems
• Perform repetitive cycle testing and reliability validation to identify issues that may only appear after extended runtime
• Assist with troubleshooting integrated hardware/software systems operating in active warehouse environments
• Follow safety procedures while working around autonomous equipment and industrial systems
• Collaborate with engineers, QA teams, and operations personnel to reproduce and investigate difficult issues

Types of Systems You May Work With

• Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGVs)
• Industrial sensors and vision systems
• Warehouse automation systems
• Embedded PC-connected equipment
• Fleet management and monitoring software
• Integrated robotics and automation platforms

What Makes Someone Successful in This Role

Strong candidates for this role tend to:

• Notice subtle behavioral changes others may miss
• Stay focused and methodical during repetitive or long-duration testing
• Naturally investigate unexpected system behavior and ask “why”
• Think critically about edge cases and real-world operating conditions
• Communicate technical observations clearly and accurately
• Enjoy troubleshooting integrated hardware/software systems
• Remain calm and analytical when issues are ambiguous or difficult to reproduce
• Take ownership of gathering useful diagnostic information instead of simply reporting failures

Preferred Experience

We do not expect candidates to have experience with every system listed below. We are more interested in troubleshooting mindset, technical curiosity, observational ability, and willingness to learn.

Helpful backgrounds may include:

• Software QA or systems testing
• Robotics or warehouse automation
• Industrial maintenance or controls
• AGVs, PLCs, SCADA systems, CNC systems, or industrial equipment
• Hardware/software integration testing
• Reliability testing or endurance testing
• IT troubleshooting or networking
• Wireless communication troubleshooting
• Automotive diagnostics or field service work
• Manufacturing or industrial operations

Technical Skills That May Be Helpful

• Reading logs or dashboards
• Basic command line usage
• Understanding sensors and industrial communication systems
• Troubleshooting Ethernet, serial, or wireless connectivity issues
• Identifying patterns in intermittent or non-deterministic failures
• Writing clear bug reports and reproduction steps
• Capturing screenshots, videos, or diagnostic data during testing

Work Environment

• Primarily onsite in the northern Pittsburgh metro area
• Warehouse and industrial environments
• May involve shift-based work depending on testing schedules
• Combination of hands-on vehicle interaction and computer-based investigation/documentation
• Some testing may involve repetitive workflows or extended-duration validation sessions

Why This Role Is Different

Many testing roles focus primarily on executing predefined scripts. This role is more investigative and systems-oriented. The most successful people in this position enjoy understanding how complex systems behave under real-world conditions and helping engineering teams uncover issues that are difficult to reproduce. If you enjoy troubleshooting, observing system behavior, asking questions, and digging into complex technical problems, this role may be a strong fit.

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