Location: Toronto (Hybrid. Regular in-office presence required for hardware testing.) A hands-on, systems-focused role responsible for validating, stress-testing, and strengthening the full hardware-software systems that power our autonomous retail platform. You act as the final validation layer before release and the escalation point for complex system issues in the field. ABOUT MICROMART Micromart is building the platform for unattended retail. We empower entrepreneurs to turn any location into a retail opportunity, from offices and condos to gyms, hotels, and other shared spaces. Our focus is on giving entrepreneurs powerful tools that are simple to use, while delivering a fast, intuitive shopping experience for shoppers. Often described as Shopify for physical commerce, Micromart provides the infrastructure that powers unattended retail in the real world. OUR TEAM Micromart launched just over a year ago and is now used in thousands of locations across North America. We’re a small and growing team working closely across product, platform, and smart store systems, from design through production. Work here is end to end. That means thinking through problems, making pragmatic tradeoffs, shipping changes, and improving systems over time. As we scale, quality and reliability matter more than ever, and this role plays a key part in that. HOW YOU CAN HELP As a System Validation Engineer, you will define what reliability means at Micromart across the full hardware and software system, and continuously raise that bar as we scale. You will own system-level validation and release confidence for changes that impact hardware, edge devices, payments, vision systems, and connected components. When a feature crosses hardware and software boundaries, this role ensures it works reliably in the real world. This is a systems-first role that combines hands-on validation with reliability-focused engineering work. You will spend time testing cabinets, simulating real-world conditions, reproducing failures, analyzing logs, validating Android builds and device-side changes, and working closely with engineers and external partners to drive root cause and long-term fixes. When systems fail in the field, you are responsible for reproducing, understanding, and driving root cause across hardware, software, and integrations. Our smart stores operate 24/7. Entrepreneurs and shoppers depend on them to work every time. AT MICROMART, YOU WILL Own System-Level Validation - Own QA for features that cross hardware and software boundaries, including smart locks, payment terminals, cameras, eTags, edge devices, and Android builds that interact with physical systems - Define and enforce what “release ready” means for hardware and edge system changes - Develop and refine hardware and systems validation procedures as architecture evolves - Ensure firmware updates, BIOS changes, hardware revisions, and vendor SDK changes do not introduce regressions before rollout Test Real-World Conditions - Test end-to-end flows across hardware, embedded Node.js services, networking infrastructure, payments, vision processing, and cloud APIs - Simulate real-world scenarios such as internet loss, degraded connectivity, Bluetooth instability, USB device failures, power interruptions, and router instability - Validate revenue-impacting systems including payment authorization flows and vision-based order processing under real-world conditions Evaluate and Improve Hardware Systems - Test and compare different hardware components including edge computers, USB cameras, payment terminals, and networking equipment - Evaluate performance, stability, and compatibility across vendors and configurations - Propose and validate improvements to hardware selection and system architecture - Identify tradeoffs between cost, performance, and reliability in real-world deployments Investigate and Resolve Field Issues - Reproduce customer-reported and fleet issues in a controlled environment - Investigate issues such as payment preauthorization failures, vision detection or review inconsistencies, temperature alarms, memory leaks, LCD burn-in, USB device instability, and connectivity problems - Analyze logs and fleet health data to determine root causes and quantify impact across deployments - Document findings clearly and partner with engineering to drive long-term fixes Improve Reliability and Support Engineering - Collaborate directly with technology partners to escalate issues and validate fixes - Collect and provide structured technical evidence to support investigations - Build small tools or scripts to improve fleet visibility and diagnostics - Contribute targeted reliability improvements directly to device-side services and infrastructure, including writing and shipping code changes in TypeScript, Node.js, or related tooling when appropriate - Partner closely with engineers to design and implement long-term fixes for systemic reliability issues TECHNOLOGY STACK You will work across a distributed system that includes: - Linux-based edge computers running Node.js services (TypeScript) - Android applications interacting with device-side services - USB cameras, Bluetooth eTags, payment terminals, routers, and other connected hardware - Cloud APIs and backend services built in TypeScript - Fleet management and remote device monitoring tools WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TEAM - Experience working with hardware and software systems such as IoT devices, robotics platforms, embedded Linux systems, or device fleets - Strong software fundamentals and comfort reading, understanding, and debugging production code, ideally in TypeScript or Node.js - Experience debugging issues on Linux-based devices including logs, processes, memory usage, and networking behavior - Familiarity with device-level components such as USB cameras, rou