Manual QA Engineer — IoT / Mandarin Chinese 8440

Join Akvelon — build products used by millions!

Akvelon is an IT company with 20+ years of experience and 1,200+ engineers across 15+ locations worldwide.
We work with both well-known global tech companies, including Microsoft, Facebook, Airbnb, Dropbox, and Pinterest, and with growing startups.
Our teams are involved in different types of engineering projects, from cloud solutions and AI/ML systems to big data, web, and mobile applications.
Since we are remote-first, our engineers work in distributed teams with flexible hours. We value ownership, clear communication, and the ability to take responsibility for your part of the work.

About the role
We are looking for a Manual QA Engineer with fluent or native Mandarin Chinese to work on an IoT ecosystem combining embedded devices and firmware, backend services, web and mobile applications, and smart-home/building automation systems.
The role focuses on end-to-end manual testing and troubleshooting across hardware, firmware, networking, protocols, backend, and user interfaces.

An important part of the role is communication with Mandarin-speaking engineering teams. You will help clarify technical requirements, reproduce and communicate issues, and ensure that expected behavior and acceptance criteria are clearly understood across teams.

Requirements

• Strong experience in Manual QA for complex software or hardware systems
• Hands-on experience testing IoT, embedded, smart-home, or building-automation solutions
• Fluent or native Mandarin Chinese and professional English
• Hands-on experience with MQTT / MQTTX
• Knowledge of Modbus and RS485
• Experience testing physical hardware and embedded firmware
• Experience with REST APIs and backend integration testing
• Basic understanding of TCP/IP, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, DHCP, DNS, and network connectivity
• Strong troubleshooting and communication skills

Nice to have

• Experience with OTA / firmware upgrade testing
• Familiarity with Linux, Wireshark, or serial diagnostic tools
• Knowledge of ProtoBuf
• Experience with IoT/API test automation
• Experience working with distributed international engineering teams

Responsibilities

• Perform manual testing of IoT devices, firmware, APIs, and web/mobile applications
• Test device configuration, firmware updates, integrations, and communication between system components
• Troubleshoot issues using logs, diagnostic tools, and physical test devices
• Test and debug MQTT, Modbus/RS485, REST APIs, and network connectivity
• Reproduce and document defects with clear steps, expected/actual results, and supporting evidence
• Collaborate with developers and firmware engineers on cross-component issues
• Help clarify technical requirements and communicate issues between Mandarin- and English-speaking teams

Availability expectations

• Working hours should provide sufficient overlap with China and European time zones
• Regular participation in Development and QA meetings is expected
• Occasional flexibility for meetings across time zones may be required