Senior Systems QA Engineer (12 month FTC)

An Amazing Career Opportunity for a Senior Systems QA Engineer !! 12-month Fixed Term Contract Location : Durban, South Africa Job ID: 48932

As a Senior Systems QA Engineer within HID’s Physical Access Control Solutions (PACS) business area, you will play a key role in validating the integration and performance of end-to-end physical access systems. These systems span authentication credentials and services (including mobile), authentication devices, access control hardware, and system management platforms.

Do you enjoy working at the intersection of hardware, software, App, and real-world user experience? Are you passionate about uncovering how complex systems behave in the hands of actual users—not just in theory, but through hands-on validation and data-driven insight?

If so, we want to hear from you!

Who are we?

HID powers the trusted identities of the world’s people, places, and things, allowing people to transact safely, work productively and travel freely.

We are a high-tech software company headquartered in Austin, TX, with over 4,500 worldwide employees. Check us out here: www.hidglobal.com and https://youtu.be/23km5H4K9Eo

Physical Access Control Solutions (PACS):

HID Physical Access Control Solutions (PACS) is at the forefront of securing spaces with advanced, reliable access control solutions. From cutting-edge readers, credentials and controllers, to mobile and biometric technologies, HID PACS empowers organizations worldwide to protect their people, property and assets with scalable, high-quality solutions.

This is more than just a job – it’s your chance to join an industry leader to drive innovation in access control and make a real impact on global security solutions.

Are you ready to make a difference? Join us and help shape the future of security.

As our Senior Systems QA Engineer**, you’ll support HID’s success by:**

• Integrating all aspects of HID’s PACS portfolio and reporting on overall system performance, stability, and user experience.
• Maintaining and evolving the Systems/Solution lab to support 24/7 operation, including integration of new products and upgrades into the solution test bench.
• Operating within a lab-first Systems QA team, supporting hands-on UX validation, shared test environments, and automation setups.
• Researching, planning, and executing system-level test plans and test runs to validate performance and key non-functional requirements.
• Designing and implementing test solutions with an understanding of how individual components integrate into the full system.
• Defining test entry criteria and identifying real-world use cases for effective UX validation.
• Actively considering overall system behavior and user experience during test planning.
• Collaborating with stakeholders to define objectives and develop viable validation strategies.
• Reviewing program plans, product specifications, defect reports, and requirements to continuously improve the system test environment.
• Running baseline exercises to collect performance and reliability data.
• Analyzing customer issues and supporting defect triage activities.
• Analyzing test data to verify that solutions meet functional and performance requirements and producing clear test reports for stakeholders.
• Ensuring availability of test samples and equipment to support execution of planned test activities.
• Applying a range of testing techniques to identify patterns, trends, and areas for improvement.
• Investigating gaps in current test processes and contributing to improvements.
• Supporting test-driven development (TDD) practices and validating test plans with stakeholders.
• Promoting a shift-left approach by identifying UX and system issues early in the development lifecycle.
• Contributing to system-level, interoperability, stress, and reliability testing activities.
• Performing both manual and automated testing, including development of automation tools and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) setups.
• Participating in regular program updates, reporting on test planning, scope, and status.
• Partnering with cross-functional teams to resolve issues and clarify requirements.
• Supporting PACS development roadmap initiatives and associated value streams.
• Participating in Agile/SAFe ceremonies and contributing to planning, execution, and reporting activities across value streams.
• Working primarily in a hands-on lab and office environment, supporting system integration, testing, and validation activities.
• Occasional travel and fieldwork, including potential international travel.

Your Experience and Background include:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering, or an equivalent qualification.
• Minimum of 5–7 years of experience in software testing, with a focus on UX/UAT validation.
• ISTQB CTFL certification or equivalent UX/UAT testing certification (highly desirable).
• SAFe for Teams (SP) certification and/or other Agile certifications (e.g., Scrum, Kanban), with experience working in Agile/SAFe delivery environments (highly desirable).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Ability to clearly gather, analyze, and report on system performance and test outcomes.
• Ability to read and interpret technical specifications, standards, and documentation.
• Communicates well and capable of delivering feedback to peers and their manager.
• Demonstrates that all assumptions are vetted before work starts to reduce the need for re-work, when given a task with unclear requirements.
• Effective collaboration with cross-functional teams including engineering scrum teams & embedded QA, product management, and other stakeholders.

Core Systems & UX Testing Experience:

• Experience in User Experience (UX) and User Acceptance Testing (UAT), particularly for mobile applications integrated with physical products in real-world environments.
• System-level testing experience across hardware, firmware, mobile applications, and cloud platforms.

Technology Stack & Tools Experience:

• Hands-on experience with automation frameworks, embedded development, and programming languages such as C#, Python, C, C++, XAML, NodeJS or similar
• Experience using test automation tools such as Appium, Selenium, Python or similar.
• Experience with application development environments (e.g., .NET, Visual Studio, Arduino IDE, VS Code)
• Experience with code repository and artifact management tools (e.g., Git, Bitbucket, Nexus, SonarQube or similar)
• Experience with defect tracking tools (e.g., Jira, Confluence or similar)
• Experience with test management tools (e.g., TestRail or similar)
• Experience with visual collaboration tools (e.g., Miro or similar)
• Experience with data analytics and visualization tools (e.g., Oracle Analytics, Grafana, Mixpanel or similar)
• Experience with API testing and scripting using tools such as Postman (desirable)
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).

AI & Modern Engineering Practices:

• Hands-on experience with AI tools and agentic AI workflows (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Microsoft Copilot, Cursor, Claude or similar) to support software development, coding, analysis, reporting, documentation, and spec-driven development practices.

Systems, Platforms & Protocols:

• Experience working with operating systems such as macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux.
• Knowledge of databases such as SQL, Firebase, or similar.
• Experience with wired and wireless technologies and protocols such as BLE, NFC, UWB, TCP/IP, HTTP, MQTT, OSDP, RS-485.

Hardware-related experience:

• Comfortable working with physical hardware, test environments, and system setup including wiring, configuration, and troubleshooting.
• Ability to read and interpret wiring diagrams and installation manuals.
• Hands-on experience with lab equipment (power s