QA Engineer

Job Overview

Wabtec Corporation is seeking a Verification & Validation Engineer to lead comprehensive testing efforts for its Locomotive Energy Management Product, Trip Optimizer. You will be responsible for defining, scoping, executing, and documenting all aspects of verification and validation, ensuring the reliability and performance of systems that power the digital-rail-and-transit ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities

• Review design requirements and ensure understanding for testability at system and subsystem levels.
• Create and document test plans, identifying relevant scenarios with interaction matrices.
• Determine and execute the necessary types of testing: desktop, software-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, field testing, and pilot operations.
• Estimate testing timelines and integrate into overall project planning.
• Document all work outputs, from test plans to results and feedback.
• Lead reviews for test plans, test procedures, and results with internal/external customers.
• Design, execute, and analyze complex test cases; provide recommendations for design/product changes.
• Prepare and present technical results and invention disclosures where applicable.
• Participate in final integration and validation to discover and address functional problems.
• Drive testing process improvements (cost, quality, automation, efficiency).
• Collaborate with engineering, design, and cross-functional teams on test definition and execution.
• Support and implement initiatives for simplification and productivity (e.g., automation).

Must-Have Skills and Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, or Computer Engineering.
• Minimum 2 years of professional software/system test/validation experience.
• Strong grasp of requirements traceability, test execution, defect reporting, and automation concepts.
• Excellent documentation skills and ability to present complex results clearly.
• Initiative, resourcefulness, organization, and ability to work both independently and across teams.
• Effective verbal and written communication and stakeholder management abilities.

Nice to Have

• Working knowledge of Matlab/Simulink.
• Experience in design/validation of electro-mechanical or locomotive/off-highway vehicle systems.
• Knowledge of locomotive applications, control and monitoring software.
• Prior exposure to hardware-in-the-loop and system integration testing.
• Prior success with process improvements, automation, or invention disclosures.
• Demonstrated cross-functional leadership experience.

How to Prepare for the Interview

• Review system/software testing methodologies—especially desktop verification, software-in-the-loop (SIL), and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing.
• Brush up on requirements management, traceability matrices, and defect lifecycle principles.
• Prepare to discuss previous projects where you owned test planning, execution, and analysis.
• Practice communicating technical results and recommendations succinctly to technical/non-technical stakeholders.
• Highlight any experience you have with Matlab/Simulink, electro-mechanical systems, or transportation/industrial environments.
• Be ready to share examples of process improvements or automation initiatives you’ve led or contributed to.
• Prepare for situational questions on multi-tasking, organization, and collaborating with diverse technical teams.

How to Prepare the Resume

• Showcase your experience designing, documenting, and executing test plans for complex products or systems.
• Highlight your understanding and application of traceability, defect management, and automation in testing.
• Detail hands-on experience with any specialist tools (e.g., Matlab/Simulink), HIL/SIL environments, or industrial control systems.
• Underscore achievements in process improvement, technical leadership, or presentation of technical results.
• Quantify your testing and quality impact where possible (e.g., reduced testing time, increased coverage).
• Include any cross-functional or customer-facing project work.

Useful Links for Preparation

• Systems Test & Verification Concepts: https://www.guru99.com/software-testing.html
• Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing Overview: https://www.mathworks.com/discovery/hardware-in-the-loop.html
• Matlab/Simulink Tutorials: https://www.mathworks.com/learn/tutorials/matlab-onramp.html
• Defect Lifecycle and Traceability: https://www.guru99.com/defect-life-cycle.html
• Effective Requirements Management: https://www.modernanalyst.com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/ID/3536/Best-Practices-in-Requirements-Traceability.aspx
• Process Improvement in QA: https://www.stickyminds.com/article/ten-tips-process-improvement-software-testing