Tech Lead – Testing Engineer

About RIVR, part of Amazon RIVR, part of Amazon is a robotics company pioneering Physical AI through real-world doorstep delivery. Founded in 2024 as an ETH Zurich spin-off, RIVR developed wheeled-legged robots designed to operate in complex, unstructured environments such as stairs, gates, doors, and uneven urban terrain. We believe that achieving general physical intelligence requires solving real customer problems in the real world, where robots can learn from rich operational data at scale.

Following our acquisition by Amazon in March 2026, we are continuing this mission with greater reach and speed. By combining custom robot hardware, onboard autonomy, and cloud-based coordination, RIVR, part of Amazon is building the next generation of safe, reliable autonomous robots for last-mile delivery. Job Description We are looking for a Technical Lead – Testing Engineer to own and elevate the testing strategy for our advanced robotic systems.

In this role you will define how we validate hardware reliability and performance, from individual actuator characterization through full system-level integration. You will lead a team of test engineers, set technical directions and goals for test infrastructure, and be the bridge between technical unknowns and experimental measurements that enable engineering decisions ultimately shaping our robots. This is a hands-on leadership role.

You will still design test benches, write automation code, and dig into data, but you will also mentor engineers, drive process maturity, and represent testing in cross-functional planning. If you combine deep technical expertise in hardware testing with the ability to set priorities, grow people, and influence design outcomes, this role offers a unique opportunity to shape how a Physical AI company validates its products.

What you'll be doing Technical Leadership & Strategy Define and own the end-to-end test strategy for structural, mechatronic, and sensing subsystems, aligned with product development milestones. Establish testing standards, processes, and best practices across the team, including test plan templates, data management workflows, and reporting formats. Make architectural decisions on test infrastructure: investments into instrumentation platforms, automation frameworks, and data pipelines.

Drive continuous improvement of test coverage, efficiency, and predictive capability. Hands-On Testing & Engineering Design, commission, and operate test benches for mechatronics systems