QA Tester, IoT (Contract) Full Time

Location: Minneapolis, MN

Description

We’re SmartThings, one of the leading IoT ecosystems in the world, creating the most effortless way for anyone to create a smart home. We’re a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung with corporate offices in Minneapolis and the Bay Area.

More than 430 million people worldwide use SmartThings to control and manage their connected life. SmartThings delivers simple, powerful experiences across Samsung’s leading portfolio of phones, TVs, and appliances. We also offer the most versatile smart home experience as an open platform with a rich partner ecosystem (think IKEA, SONOS, Honeywell, and so many more). As a founding member of Matter, we are a leader in the industry to help make smart homes more secure, reliable and seamless to use. Come be a part of the leading edge of IoT innovation!

As a QA Contractor for the SmartThings Hub and Edge team, you will be the final line of defense in ensuring our hardware and edge computing platforms provide a seamless, reliable experience. You will validate the “brain” of the smart home, ensuring the Hub’s core software correctly manages local processing, cloud communication, and diverse device ecosystems.

This position is 100% on-site at our Minneapolis office to allow for hands-on interaction with physical hardware, networking infrastructure, and the wide array of devices that make up the SmartThings ecosystem. This on-site requirement is also vital for deep, real-time collaboration with the development and product teams, enabling you to embed quality into the product lifecycle from design through delivery.

Key Responsibilities

In this role, your primary responsibilities will include the following:

• Test Execution: Perform manual smoke, regression, and functional testing to support Hub firmware releases.
• Hardware Setup & Onboarding: Responsible for the physical setup, pairing, and configuration of a wide variety of IoT devices (sensors, lights, locks, etc.) to create diverse testing environments.
• Connectivity Testing: Validate discovery, pairing, and control for devices connecting over LAN (Wi-Fi/Ethernet) as well as wireless standards like Matter, Thread, Zigbee, and Z-Wave.
• Cloud & Client Integration: Conduct end-to-end (E2E) testing to ensure the Hub correctly synchronizes state with the SmartThings Cloud and reflects accurately across mobile and web clients.
• Network Resilience: Test Hub behavior across different home network setups (Ethernet vs. Wi-Fi), including “offline mode” performance and the local execution of smart home routines.
• Feature Validation: Partner with Hub and Edge engineers to validate new system-level features, from low-level driver updates to high-level cloud API integrations.
• Test Management: Use test management software to execute test runs, document results, and maintain an organized repository of test cases for both firmware and software services.
• Bug Reporting: Identify and track software defects in Jira, providing clear steps to reproduce and attaching relevant logs (serial, system, or cloud logs) to help engineers diagnose root causes.
• Lab Management: Maintain the physical testing environment, ensuring Hub hardware versions are updated and test rigs are organized for efficient execution.
• OTA (Over-the-Air) Testing: Validate the firmware update lifecycle to ensure the Hub and its hosted software services update safely without data loss or service interruption.

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

Inclusive Hiring Practices

Don’t meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At SmartThings, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

What You Bring On Day One (Required Qualifications)

• Experience: 2+ years of experience in Software Quality Assurance with a focus on hardware-software integration or consumer electronics.
• Networking Basics: Familiarity with home networking concepts (Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet, router setup) and a basic understanding of how devices communicate on a local network.
• Systems Thinking: Ability to debug issues that may involve hardware, local network connectivity, or remote cloud services.
• Communication: Excellent written communication skills for writing detailed bug reports and documenting edge-case scenarios.
• On-site Availability: Ability to work daily from our Minneapolis office to manage physical test benches and collaborate with local engineering teams.

Desired Skills

• Automation: Basic experience with or interest in test automation (e.g., Python, JavaScript, or Shell scripting).
• IoT Ecosystems: Experience testing smart home devices or gadgets that interact with mobile apps and cloud services.
• Test Tools: Experience with test management platforms (TestMo, TestRail, Zephyr).
• General Tools: Familiarity with Jira, Confluence, and GitHub.
• Technical Debugging: Comfortable using command-line tools (Linux/macOS) for log analysis, network diagnosis (e.g. using ping, traceroute, or Wireshark), and retrieving system/serial logs.
• Mindset: A genuine interest in smart home technology, curious by nature and a commitment to thoroughness and product quality.

SmartThings Benefits

We are offering a 6-month contract with a 40-hour weekly schedule. The compensation range for this engagement is $60–$70/hour, commensurate with experience.

At SmartThings, we are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible environment for all. If you require accommodations to participate in our hiring process or to perform the requirements of the job, we will work with you to meet your needs in compliance with applicable laws. Please reach out to talent@smartthings.com and a member of our Talent Acquisition team will connect with you further!