Software Test Engineer Jobs in San Diego, CA
Software Test Engineer jobs in San Diego are concentrated in the defense technology corridor around Kearny Mesa and Sorrento Valley, and in the biotech and software clusters near Mission Valley and Torrey Pines, with employers across defense systems, cybersecurity, and enterprise software actively hiring. Companies bringing on software test engineers right now include Northrop Grumman, Apple, and Brain. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Description
At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems is looking to add an experienced Software Integration & Test Principal Engineer Software - (T03) to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals within our Software organization. This position will support our team on site in San Diego, CA.
Duties and Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Work in development, lab, and operational environments. Understand the differences between those settings and ensure that integration and the testing of complex system components are applicable to the appropriate environment.
- Perform integration and troubleshooting of software components across multiple networks interfacing with customer SMEs. Ensure that through documentation is created and maintained to allow others to integrate in the future.
- Facilitate collaboration with software developers, system engineers, hardware engineers, and integration/test engineers to diagnose and identify the root cause of problems found during software installation, integration, acceptance test, and operational events.
- Using in-depth knowledge of the system directs development of workable interim solutions to provide a capable system while software or hardware changes are being implemented allowing testing and operational events to proceed.
- Develop and execute software installation, integration, and acceptance test procedures.
- Utilize familiarity of the full development life-cycle processes that acknowledge technical, schedule, and cost constraints.
- Develop clear and concise detailed technical documentation.
- Submit detailed problem reports for errors found.
- Drive best practices and common process across OUs.
- Work with current budget for implementation with the ability to advise program management and acquire addition budget to achieve the long-term goal.(start small, move to more and more automation leading to full CI/CD)
- The role will be a hybrid of significantly diverse assignments in a collaborative/team setting across all levels.
The selected candidate should thrive in a fast-paced work environment with high expectations, significantly diverse assignments, and collaborative/team settings across all levels.
The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility. There is no remote / hybrid / telework available for this position. An occasional travel requirement up to 10% may be needed.
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) discipline and 5 years of related engineering experience; OR a Master’s degree in a STEM discipline and 3 years of related engineering experience; OR a PhD in a STEM discipline and 1 year of related engineering experience.
- Experience with the full SW Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
- Experience in integration and testing of software and hardware components in Lunix and windows environments.
- Ability to lead installation, integration, and acceptance testing.
- Candidate must be able to obtain a Security+ certification.
- Active U.S. Government Top Secret clearance (with a background investigation within the past 5 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation).
- Ability to obtain and maintain initial Special Program Access (SAP/PAR). This SAP/PAR must be obtained prior to commencement of employment and must be obtained within a reasonable amount of time as determined by the company to meet its business needs. (Of note: SAP/PAR will be upgraded once selected candidate is in role. Therefore, candidate must also be able to obtain and maintain upgraded SAP/PAR.)
Preferred Qualifications:
- Current applicable SAP access
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Electrical Engineering.
- Excellent 2-way communication skills (upward and downward).
- Excellent communication, interpersonal skills, and the ability to interface with all levels of employees and management. Ability to brief technical presentations to stakeholders.
- Familiarity with software network interfaces.
- Experience in automation of installation, configuration, and test.
- Experience in Agile methodologies. Agile Systems Engineering Experience.
- Demonstrated communication and technical writing skills.
- Experience with Confluence and JIRA.
- Security+ certification
- Experience with scripting languages (developing, debugging, and maintaining.
- Active DoD Top Secret SCI clearance (with a background investigation within the past 5 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation).
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Who's Hiring



Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Medical Devices
- Aerospace & Defense
- Electronics & Hardware
Software Test Engineer Jobs in San Diego: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a software test engineer job in San Diego?
Focus your search on San Diego's defense contractors, cybersecurity firms, and biotech software teams, which hire software test engineers more consistently than most other local sectors. Roles cluster in Kearny Mesa, Sorrento Valley, and the UTC area near UC San Diego. Candidates with experience in automated testing frameworks, hardware-in-the-loop testing, or regulatory validation stand out in this market, where cleared positions and FDA-adjacent projects are common.
Which companies hire software test engineers in San Diego?
Employers hiring software test engineers in San Diego right now include Northrop Grumman, Apple, and Brain, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of July 2026. San Diego's market is dominated by defense primes, mid-size defense and communications technology firms, and a growing number of health technology and enterprise software companies with local engineering offices.
Are there remote software test engineer jobs in San Diego?
Yes, though availability depends heavily on the role: test engineers working on cloud platforms, web applications, or enterprise software can often work remotely, while those supporting hardware, embedded systems, or classified defense programs are almost always required on-site. About 36% of software test engineer openings tied to San Diego are remote or hybrid as of July 2026, with remote options most common in commercial software and SaaS companies based locally.
How can I get a software test engineer job in San Diego with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in San Diego is through QA analyst or junior tester roles at mid-size software companies and health technology firms in the Mission Valley and Sorrento Mesa areas, which tend to hire early-career candidates more readily than the large defense contractors requiring clearances. Building hands-on experience with tools like Selenium, JIRA, or Postman, and contributing to open-source testing projects, gives local hiring managers something concrete to evaluate even without professional history.
Which industries hire the most software test engineers in San Diego?
The sectors hiring the most software test engineers in San Diego are Technology & Software, Medical Devices, and Aerospace & Defense, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of July 2026. San Diego's unique mix of defense and military contracting, life sciences software, and telecommunications infrastructure keeps demand for software test engineers broad and relatively stable across economic cycles.
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