Senior Level Principal Test Engineer Jobs

Senior level principal test engineer jobs place experienced engineers in charge of test strategy, quality architecture, and the cross-functional programs that deliver reliable software at scale. Roles are concentrated across Technology & Software, Manufacturing, and Medical Devices, with a mix of on-site, remote, and hybrid settings, and employers like MTSI, NVIDIA, and SonicWall hiring at this level now.

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Overview

Open roles10
Top stateCalifornia
Top employerMTSI
Top cityIrvine, CA
Work type50% On-site
Top industryTechnology

Showing 5 of 10+ Senior Level Principal Test Engineer jobs

Principal Design-for-Test (DFT) Engineer
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Added 1d ago
Principal Design-for-Test (DFT) Engineer
Celero Communications
Remote
Specialized Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Manufacturing Operations
Engineering (Non-Software)
$200k - $300k/yr
Remote (US)
Bachelor's

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Principal Software Test Engineer
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Added 1w ago
Principal Software Test Engineer
Senseonics, Incorporated
Maple Grove, Minnesota
Quality Assurance & Testing (QA Testing)
Software Engineering
Embedded Systems Engineering
$130k - $140k/yr
Hybrid
Bachelor's

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Test Principal Engineer
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Added 3w ago
Test Principal Engineer
SonicWall
Hayward, California
Quality Assurance & Testing (QA Testing)
Technical Product & Program Management
Cybersecurity
On-Site
Bachelor's
1,001-5,000

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Principal Software Development Engineer in Test
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Added 3w ago
Principal Software Development Engineer in Test
eClinical Solutions
Mansfield, Massachusetts
Quality Assurance & Testing (QA Testing)
Software Engineering
Technical Product & Program Management
Automation QA
$175k/yr
On-Site
Bachelor's

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Principal Test Design Staff Engineer - Networking
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Added 1mo ago
Principal Test Design Staff Engineer - Networking
NVIDIA
California
DevOps
Quality Assurance & Testing (QA Testing)
Software Engineering
$232k - $368k/yr
On-Site
Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering
10,000+

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Senior Level Principal Test Engineer Job Market

Who's Hiring

MTSI1 open role
NVIDIA1 open role
SonicWall1 open role

Top Industries Hiring

  • Technology & Software
  • Manufacturing
  • Medical Devices
  • Banking & Financial Services

Senior Level Principal Test Engineer Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get a senior level principal test engineer job?

Employers at this level look for engineers who have owned end-to-end test strategy across complex systems, not just executed test plans. Demonstrating that you have defined quality frameworks, influenced architecture decisions, and mentored other engineers gives you a clear edge. A portfolio of measurable quality outcomes, such as defect reduction or release velocity improvements, strengthens your candidacy significantly.

Which companies hire senior level principal test engineers?

Companies hiring senior level principal test engineers right now include MTSI, NVIDIA, and SonicWall, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Hiring at this level is driven by large technology companies, defense contractors, and enterprises undergoing platform modernization who need engineers capable of leading quality programs independently.

Are there remote senior level principal test engineer jobs?

Yes, though availability varies by employer and industry. About 50% of senior level principal test engineer openings are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting strong demand for experienced engineers who can lead distributed quality efforts. On-site roles tend to cluster in regulated industries such as aerospace, defense, and medical devices where lab access is required.

What makes a principal test engineer role senior level?

Senior level principal test engineers own the quality strategy for major product lines or platforms, not just individual test cycles. They set standards others follow, evaluate and introduce tooling at an organizational level, resolve ambiguous quality problems without close oversight, and actively develop the engineers around them. The distinction from mid-level roles is consistent scope of ownership and cross-team technical influence.

Which industries hire the most senior level principal test engineers?

Senior Level principal test engineer roles concentrate in Technology & Software, Manufacturing, and Medical Devices, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. These sectors drive hiring at this level because they build complex, high-stakes software systems where senior quality leadership directly reduces risk and accelerates release cycles.