Verification & Validation Team Lead (AU)

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 headquarters in Sydney CBD. There are approximately 400 staff based in the 4,000sqm facility today, scheduled to grow to approximately 500 staff by end of 2026. Overseas on the ground presence includes USA, Denmark, Mexico, and UAE, as well as distributors in over 70 countries globally.

About the role

We are seeking an experienced Verification & Validation (V&V) Team Lead to drive the end-to-end validation of our complex hardware & software integrated systems. The role involves leading a team of engineers to plan, execute, and deliver system-level verification ensuring products meet all functional, performance, and safety requirements.

You'll collaborate closely with Systems/Software/Project Engineers to plan and execute System and Subsystem V&V strategies.

Responsibilities, Duties and Expectations

• Lead the V&V engineering team to define, plan, and execute verification and validation activities across product releases.
• Establish and maintain VCRM (Verification & Compliance Requirements Matrix) linking system requirements to validation outcomes.
• Develop test strategies, plans, procedures, and acceptance criteria aligned with systems and customer requirements.
• Manage integration, system, and acceptance testing across hardware, firmware, and software components.
• Coordinate lab and field testing by ensuring data collection, analysis, and reporting meet program expectations.
• Work closely with QA, Software, and T&E teams to ensure coverage across all test levels.
• Oversee defect management, triage, and retest cycles ensuring closure within release timelines.
• Contribute to process improvement, tool selection, and automation initiatives within the V&V domain.
• Mentor and up-skill team members in test methodologies, systems engineering practices, and documentation discipline.
• Provide periodic reports on test progress, coverage, and readiness to program management.

Qualifications, Experience and Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related discipline.
• 8+ years of experience in system testing, verification, or validation, with at least 2 years in a leadership capacity.
• Strong understanding of systems engineering principles and requirements-based testing.
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and system integration testing.
• Hands-on experience with test management tools (e.g., Jira, XRay, TestRail) and defect tracking processes.
• Working knowledge of Python, C/C++, or scripting for test automation and data validation preferred.
• Excellent communication, documentation, and stakeholder management skills.

Desirable

• Exposure to embedded systems, sensor fusion, or autonomous platforms.
• Experience in field validation of mission-critical or safety-critical systems.
• Background in model-based testing or simulation environments.
• Exposure to programming languages such as python and Automation frameworks

Note for recruitment agencies: We do not accept unsolicited candidates from external recruiters unless specifically instructed.