Lab Automation Engineer

Job Title: Lab Automation Engineer Job Description The Lab Automation Engineer plays a key role in supporting test automation and tools development for advanced automotive infotainment and connectivity technologies. In this role, you collaborate closely with development and test teams to ensure the lab environment, hardware, and automation infrastructure reliably support continuous validation of software changes. You help maintain a fully automated pipeline and a large fleet of automation nodes and lab hardware, enabling cross-functional teams to perform on-target and off-target testing around the clock. Responsibilities

- Collaborate with development and test teams to understand lab, hardware, and automation requirements and translate them into practical lab solutions.
- Ensure sufficient lab hardware, automation nodes, and test benches are available and properly configured to support the needs of the development community.
- Set up, configure, maintain, and troubleshoot lab equipment, including ECUs, development boards, power supplies, network equipment, displays, cabling, and related peripherals.
- Maintain lab equipment to ensure high availability, reliability, and optimal operational performance in a test and lab environment.
- Support hardware bring-up, validation, and recovery of failed or unresponsive test nodes and automation hardware.
- Analyze lab metrics to identify trends and issues, perform root-cause analysis of failures, and validate fixes to improve lab stability and performance.
- Monitor messaging and communication platforms used by development and test teams and provide timely, effective support for lab-related issues.
- Document lab configurations, troubleshooting procedures, known issues, and recovery steps to ensure knowledge is shared and repeatable.
- Develop, debug, and maintain Python-based tools and scripts used in automated testing environments and lab management.
- Apply sound software engineering practices to produce clean, well-structured, and well-documented Python code for test automation and lab tooling.
- Troubleshoot lab connectivity issues involving Ethernet, USB, serial, Wi-Fi, and CAN, and ensure reliable communication between devices and test benches.
- Use Windows and Linux terminal tools, batch scripts, and shell scripts to manage lab systems and automate routine tasks.
- Comprehend real-time requirements and ensure that lab configurations and automation solutions meet timing and performance constraints.
- Leverage an analytical mindset to creatively and effectively identify, diagnose, and resolve hardware, software, and network issues in the lab.
- Connect and debug electronic circuits and embedded boards, including basic work with Arduino and related electronics.

Essential Skills

- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Electronics, Mechatronics, or a related field.
- Experience working with hardware, embedded systems, or test benches, including basic power, cabling, connectivity, and device troubleshooting.
- At least 3 years of hands-on professional experience developing real-time industry applications using Python.
- Proven experience with automated testing environments and frameworks, such as PyTest.
- Extensive proficiency in Python and PyTest, including the ability to develop and debug code during live programming exercises.
- Ability to produce clean, well-structured, and well-documented Python code and apply sound software engineering practices.
- Strong debugging skills and solid knowledge of classes and object-oriented programming (OOP) concepts.
- Industrial IP networking knowledge and real-time experience troubleshooting lab connectivity, including Ethernet, USB, serial, Wi-Fi, and CAN.
- General and terminal knowledge of both Windows and Linux operating systems.
- Experience creating and using batch scripts for Windows and shell scripts for Linux environments.
- Ability to understand and work with real-time system requirements.
- Analytical mindset with the ability to creatively and effectively perform root-cause analysis of complex problems.
- Electronics knowledge, including connecting circuits, working with Arduino, and debugging electronic components.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

- Experience with CI/CD systems, such as Jenkins.
- Experience with Ansible for configuration management or automation.
- Experience with Groovy or Java development.
- Experience with automotive ECUs and infotainment systems.
- Experience in test and lab environments involving hardware, embedded systems, and test benches.
- Familiarity with Ethernet and CAN bus communication in automotive or embedded contexts.

This posting is for an existing vacancy.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract position based out of Waterloo, ON.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $33.00 - $38.00/hr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Waterloo,ON.

À propos d'Actalent

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About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

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