Work with cutting edge AI technology, making the world a safer and more secure place. DroneShield (ASX:DRO) offers an opportunity to solve some of world’s most challenging technical problems in the rapidly growing counter-drone sector.
Our customers operate in some of the most challenging and high-stakes environments in the world, including military organisations, government agencies, airports, critical infrastructure operators, and law enforcement. Protecting airspace in these settings requires technology that performs under pressure and teams that understand what’s at stake. At DroneShield, employees work at the leading edge of counter-drone innovation, helping to address real-world security challenges as drone threats continue to evolve globally.
With one of the largest listed defence company market capitalisations in Australia, now part of the ASX200 index, DroneShield is experiencing a period of hypergrowth. Revenue has surged from A$57 million in 2024 to over A$217 million in 2025, representing growth of more than 400% year-on-year, with record profitability and cashflow. The total addressable global market for counter-drone is assessed at approximately $100 billion, and is currently at the nascent stage with much of the growth still to come, with DroneShield well positioned as a global market leader, and the only public listed pure-play business in this sector.
The company has grown from 11 employees in 2017 to over 450 staff globally today, and is on track to reach around 550 by the end of 2026. This expansion includes investment of over A$50 million annually in R&D, a global pipeline exceeding A$2.5 billion, and continuous scaling of production capacity to meet accelerating demand.
The role is based at DroneShield’s central Sydney headquarters. Overseas on-the-ground presence includes Virginia (USA), Netherlands, Denmark, Mexico and Dubai, as well as distributors in over 70 countries worldwide.
About the role
DroneShield is seeking a Lead Verification & Validation Engineer with hands-on experience in embedded systems and system-level testing. The role will report to the Verification and Validation Manager and work cross-functionally with Systems Engineering, QA, T&E, NPI and developers to ensure reliability, performance, and compliance of complex systems.
This role focuses on system-level integration, performance benchmarking, environmental testing, and formal verification of both software and hardware components. You will contribute across the full V&V lifecycle – from test plan creation to execution and reporting – including real-world field testing and system behaviour validation.
Responsibilities, Duties and Expectations
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Act as the technical subject matter expert for system verification the go-to authority for verification methodology, sensor behaviour, integration issues, and field test design across the program.
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Personally lead and execute field-based verification activities, including site deployments, range trials, live-environment trials, and operational evaluations. Own the technical conduct of these campaigns end-to-end: planning, instrumentation, execution, data capture, anomaly investigation, and reporting.
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Get hands-on with hardware in the field and lab by setting up sensors, antennas, RF equipment, and field-ready devices; instrumenting systems for meaningful data capture; and personally running tests where technical judgement is critical.
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Lead the verification and validation strategy for complex embedded systems, integrated hardware/software platforms, and system-of-systems deployments, from planning through customer acceptance.
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Provide technical leadership and mentorship to a team of V&V engineers actively coaching them in the field, raising their technical ceiling on sensor behaviour, RF, and system integration, and setting the standard for rigour and field discipline.
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Own and execute system-level test plans and procedures, ensuring full alignment with system requirements, customer specifications, and applicable compliance standards.
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Direct lab-based, integration, qualification, and acceptance testing, including environmental and reliability campaigns using temperature chambers, RF test benches, power measurement equipment, and diagnostic instrumentation.
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Lead sensor integration testing, end-to-end data validation, and hardware/software interoperability verification across the full system stack, bringing deep technical understanding of how the system actually behaves under real-world conditions, not just on paper.
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Lead root-cause analysis of complex field and lab anomalies, applying first-principles engineering judgement. Reproduce issues, dissect data, and drive defects to closure with the systems, software, and hardware teams.
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Maintain rigorous requirements traceability and verification evidence using tools such as Jama or DOORS, ensuring every claim is backed by data captured under controlled, repeatable conditions.
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Author and review high-quality technical documentation such as test plans, procedures, field reports, anomaly write-ups, and V&V summaries that holds up under internal review and customer scrutiny.
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Represent V&V at design reviews, verification reviews, pre-release gates, and customer/user acceptance activities. Make and defend release-readiness recommendations grounded in field-validated evidence.
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Continuously improve the verification function namely field procedures, instrumentation, test frameworks, and ways of working with a bias toward what makes the team genuinely more effective in the conditions the product operates in.
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Operate effectively in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities, parallel programs, and compressed timelines. Re-baseline plans and reallocate effort as program needs change, without losing technical rigour.
Qualifications, Experience and Skills
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Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Mechatronics, Computer Science, a closely related technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
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8+ years of experience in Verification & Validation or Systems Integration & Test, with a substantial portion in hands-on, field-based test execution and not purely lab or office-based roles.
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Demonstrable track record leading field test campaigns end-to-end: planning, instrumenting, executing, troubleshooting, and reporting under real-world conditions.
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Deep, hands-on subject matter expertise in at least one of: embedded systems, RF sensing, sensor fusion, or signal processing with the engineering judgement that comes from having personally diagnosed hard problems in these domains.
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Proven technical leadership in safety-critical, defence, or aerospace environments, including ownership of verification outcomes against contractual or regulatory requirements.
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Strong command of the practical realities of field work setting up and instrumenting hardware in imperfect conditions, working with sensors, antennas, RF equipment, power systems, and field-ready devices, and getting useful data out of messy environments.
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Strong understanding of system testing methodologies, environmental and reliability testing, and end-to-end data validation.
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Working proficiency with scripting (Python, Bash) and Linux-based environments sufficient to interrogate systems, capture and analyse data, and guide engineers when needed.
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Strong command of defect tracking and test management tooling (Jira, Xray, Jama, Confluence) and the discipline to enforce traceability across a team.
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Excellent technical communication, able to brief executives, debate engineers, and write documentation that customers and certifiers will accept.
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Demonstrated ability to switch context rapidly across field, lab, program, and leadership demands without losing technical rigour.
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Willingness and enthusiasm to travel domestically and internationally for field campaigns, with availability for out-of-hours work during critical trials.
Note for recruitment agencies: We do not accept unsolicited candidates from external recruiters unless specifically instructed.
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