Manager, Software Test & Autonomation (R5461) at Shield AI
San Diego, CA
$160,000–$240,000
Jul 21, 2026
San Diego, CA
Jul 22, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A management role leading a team of software test and automation engineers working on verification and validation of autonomy software across multiple unmanned and emerging platforms. Day-to-day work involves defining test strategies across simulation and hardware environments, building automated regression and CI/CD-integrated validation frameworks, setting software readiness standards, and coordinating with cross-functional engineering teams. Suited to a technical leader with a background in software testing, automation infrastructure, and people management.
Senior level · San Diego, CA · Full-time
Pay in the description: $160,000–$240,000
We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
How this req sits in the market our data
Roughly 750 people in the San Diego, CA area plausibly meet what this posting asks for (computer and information systems managers). range 570–980
Applicant volume Heavy — This req sits in a large pool with little in its requirements to thin it, and auto-apply tools fire at everything in the occupation. Applying early and leading with the rare skills below is what gets read.
Most people in this occupation already list these. Still required — just not what gets you shortlisted.
What the occupation pays Median $211,286 (middle half $169,099–$267,976). This posting is about at that midpoint.
Estimated from BLS employment for this occupation and area, per-skill prevalence across our listing corpus, and published wage benchmarks — as of Jul 28, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (7)
This is a people-management role: the posting explicitly calls for leading and growing a team, conducting performance reviews, recruiting, and developing staffing plans — hence classified as a Computer and Information Systems Manager rather than an individual-contributor QA/test engineer.
The title 'Software Test & Automation Manager' carries no seniority level word, so advertised seniority is Unspecified; the scope (multi-program portfolio, executive stakeholder reporting, team ownership) supports a Senior band.
CI/CD integration is called out in the required qualifications section as a core responsibility ('integrate automated validation into CI/CD pipelines'), making it a hard gate.
SonarQube and ROS appear only under Preferred Qualifications.
No specific total years of experience are stated in the posting.
The posting lists offices across the U.S., Europe, Middle East, and Asia-Pacific but does not specify a single primary location; Shield AI's headquarters is San Diego, CA, which is used as the best-available metro. The role does not appear to be remote.
No security clearance is explicitly required, though the role supports DoD programs; a clearance is not stated as a gate.
Read the full posting
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