diff --git a/.kiro/specs/xce-test-e2e-primitives/tasks.md b/.kiro/specs/xce-test-e2e-primitives/tasks.md
index 86f04ef..206251d 100644
--- a/.kiro/specs/xce-test-e2e-primitives/tasks.md
+++ b/.kiro/specs/xce-test-e2e-primitives/tasks.md
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
   - _Requirements: 5.1, 5.2_
   - _Boundary: Assertions_
   - _Depends: 5.1_
-- [ ] 5.3 `expect-job <jobid>` assertion
+- [x] 5.3 `expect-job <jobid>` assertion
   - Add `cmd_expect_job`: pass when the JobId is present in the job list; otherwise print the missing id and return `<0`. Works with `$jobid` substitution.
   - Observable: `expect-job $jobid` passes for a submitted job; `expect-job <absent>` fails the session and prints the missing id.
   - _Requirements: 5.3, 5.4_
diff --git a/src/controller/testsuite/test.c b/src/controller/testsuite/test.c
index fa5cd81..3a4acef 100644
--- a/src/controller/testsuite/test.c
+++ b/src/controller/testsuite/test.c
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ extern int cmd_setpend(int, char*[]);
 extern int cmd_jobinfo(int, char*[]);
 extern int cmd_echo(int, char*[]);
 extern int cmd_expect_jobs(int, char*[]);
+extern int cmd_expect_job(int, char*[]);
 static int worker_house_keeping(void*);
 
 /* Session verdict / loop state (xce-test-e2e-primitives task 1.1).
@@ -203,6 +204,7 @@ static command_t client_commands[] = {
     { "qctrl",      cmd_qctrl,        "queue control"               },
     { "joblist",    cmd_joblist,      "list jobs"                   },
     { "expect-jobs", cmd_expect_jobs, "assert current job count"    },
+    { "expect-job", cmd_expect_job,   "assert a JobId is present"   },
     { "shutdown",   cmd_shutdown,     "shutdown xce controller"     },
     { "jobrun",     cmd_jobrun,       "run a job"                   },
     { "jobsub",     cmd_jobsub,       "submit a job"                },
@@ -1021,6 +1023,55 @@ int cmd_expect_jobs(int argc, char* argv[])
     return 0;
 }
 
+/* `expect-job <jobid>` assertion (xce-test-e2e-primitives task 5.3, Req 5.3/5.4,
+ * design.md cmd_expect_jobs / cmd_expect_job).
+ *
+ * Passes (returns 0) when a job whose `fmt_jobid` string equals argv[1] is
+ * present in the current job list; otherwise prints the missing id and returns a
+ * negative errno-style value so preprocess_and_run records the session as failed
+ * (Req 1.1).
+ *
+ * `$jobid` substitution is transparent: autovar substitution (task 3.1) replaces
+ * `$jobid` with the captured id string BEFORE this handler runs, so argv[1] is
+ * already the literal id. The membership test in joblist_query uses the SAME
+ * `fmt_jobid` representation that cmd_jobsub captured into `$jobid` (task 4.1),
+ * so `expect-job $jobid` matches the joblist entry.
+ *
+ * A missing argument is itself an assertion failure, not a no-op. A failed
+ * joblist query is also a failure: we cannot determine membership, so we report
+ * the query failure distinctly rather than silently equating it with "absent". */
+int cmd_expect_job(int argc, char* argv[])
+{
+    int contains;
+    int rc;
+
+    if (argc != 2) {
+        printf("expect-job <jobid>\n");
+        return -EINVAL;
+    }
+
+    /* Print-free membership query via the shared helper. A negative rc means the
+     * query itself failed (e.g. no reachable master) — that is an assertion
+     * failure, distinct from "job absent". */
+    rc = joblist_query(argv[1], &contains, 0);
+
+    if (rc < 0) {
+        printf("expect-job: could not determine membership of '%s' (joblist "
+               "query failed)\n",
+               argv[1]);
+        return rc;
+    }
+
+    if (!contains) {
+        printf("expect-job: job %s not found\n", argv[1]);
+        return -ENOENT;
+    }
+
+    printf("expect-job: ok (%s)\n", argv[1]);
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 static void print_jobinfo(xce_job_t* job)
 {
     char idstring[128];