Manual QA Tester (Contract 3+ months)

WHAT YOU'LL DO We're looking for a sharp, methodical manual tester to add dedicated manual-testing capacity to the QA org during a busy stretch of releases. You'll run structured manual and exploratory test passes across Standard Bots' software — the robot control apps, teach pendant, and core workflows — execute regression every release, and file clean, well-documented bugs. Because our software drives physical 6-axis robots, a bug isn't just a UI glitch; it can move real hardware. Careful, observant testing is the whole job. This is a contract role (roughly 3 months, with the option to extend). It's a strong fit for an experienced manual tester who is disciplined, hardware-curious, and writes crisp reproduction steps. RESPONSIBILITIES - Execute manual regression and smoke passes across software releases — on the product UI and on real robots — to catch regressions before they reach customers. - Run broad exploratory testing across complex robotic workflows: probe edge cases, unusual sequences, and the failure modes scripted tests miss. - Write and maintain clear, repeatable manual test cases in our test-management tool (Qase), and keep them current as features ship. - File high-quality bug reports with precise reproduction steps, system state, logs, and firmware/build versions, so engineers can act without back-and-forth. - Partner with SDETs and Systems Test Engineers to reproduce and isolate defects, and surface the coverage gaps you find along the way. - Support release QA, including gated test runs and release-candidate validation, and report results clearly. - Perform basic recovery on test hardware (re-home, reset) to keep test cells available. SKILLS YOU'LL BRING - Manual Testing Foundation: 2+ years of hands-on manual QA experience, with strong test-case design and disciplined, repeatable execution. - Exploratory Instincts: A knack for breaking things — you find the failure modes no one thought to script. - Clear Bug Reporting: Excellent written communication. You capture the state, logs, and steps needed to reproduce, not just a screenshot. - Hardware Curiosity: Comfortable testing a product where software controls physical hardware, and aware that software bugs have physical consequences. - Tooling Comfort: At home in Linux/CLI environments and with test-management tools (Qase or similar); basic scripting is a plus. - Methodical & Reliable: You follow procedures precisely, notice when something is off, and chase it down. WHO YOU ARE A detail-oriented, self-driven tester who takes pride in catching what everyone else misses. You're comfortable around hardware, communicate clearly, and thrive in a fast-moving release cycle. No robotics background required. NICE TO HAVE - Experience testing products where software controls physical hardware (robots, EVs, drones, medical devices, appliances) - Familiarity with test-management tools (Qase, TestRail) and bug trackers (Asana, Jira) - Basic scripting (Python, Bash) or CLI comfort for log parsing and data extraction - Exposure to robotic systems (6-axis arms, collaborative robots) or hardware-in-the-loop testing - Familiarity with network protocols (SSH, HTTP)