Principal Manager - Quality Engineering

Madrona Venture Labs; Bengaluru; Hybrid; INR 1,800,000 - 3,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Madrona Venture Labs in Bengaluru is seeking a Senior SDET to build scalable test automation for an AI-driven cloud operations platform. You will own UI, API, and integration testing, and work closely with engineering to raise quality across distributed systems.

The role emphasizes modern QA practices, shift-left testing, and CI/CD integration, with hands-on coding in Python (or Java/JavaScript) and experience with Playwright, Pytest, REST Assured, Docker, and Kubernetes.

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of experience in test automation / quality engineering
• Experience in agile, fast-paced product environments
• Contribution to automation frameworks and test strategy implementation

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable automation frameworks and test suites across UI, API, and integration layers
• Embed quality practices early in the development lifecycle (shift-left)
• Develop and execute automated test cases and integrate into CI/CD pipelines
• Define and implement test strategies for microservices-based and distributed systems
• Perform API-first testing, including REST endpoints and schema validation
• Identify, debug, and track defects with engineering teams
• Leverage logs, metrics, and traces to validate system behavior and improve production quality
• Ensure adequate test coverage and high release quality
• Improve automation frameworks, tools, and processes
• Participate in design and code reviews to improve testability and quality
• Support test data setup, environment configuration, and test execution in cloud environments

Skills

Python

Playwright

Cypress

Pytest

Robot Framework

API testing

REST APIs

Postman

Newman

REST Assured

CI/CD

Jenkins

GitHub Actions

GitLab CI

Cloud-native

Docker

Kubernetes

SDLC

Agile

AWS

OpenAPI

Pact

Prometheus

Grafana

ELK/OpenSearch

AI-driven testing

Debugging

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science

Tools

Playwright

Cypress

Pytest

Robot Framework

Postman

Newman

REST Assured

Docker

Kubernetes

Jenkins

GitHub Actions

GitLab CI

OpenAPI

Pact

Prometheus

Grafana

ELK/OpenSearch

Great Expectations

Kafka

Job description

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior Software Development Engineer in Testing (Senior SDET) to contribute to the quality of our AI-driven cloud operations platform. This role focuses on building scalable, reliable, and intelligent test automation systems to ensure high-quality releases in a fast-paced SaaS environment.

The ideal candidate will be hands-on with modern quality engineering practices, including automation, API testing, and cloud-native validation, while working closely with engineering teams to ensure end-to-end product quality across distributed systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable automation frameworks and test suites across UI, API, and integration layers
• Collaborate with developers to embed quality practices early in the development lifecycle (shift-left)
• Develop and execute automated test cases and ensure integration into CI/CD pipelines
• Contribute to defining and implementing test strategies for microservices-based and distributed systems
• Perform API-first testing, including validation of REST endpoints and schema/contracts
• Identify, debug, and track defects, working closely with engineering teams for resolution
• Leverage logs, metrics, and traces to validate system behavior and improve production quality
• Ensure adequate test coverage and maintain high standards for release quality
• Contribute to improving automation frameworks, tools, and processes
• Participate in design and code reviews to improve testability and quality
• Support test data setup, environment configuration, and test execution in cloud environments

Desired Skills and Requirements

Must Have

• Strong programming experience in Python (preferred) or Java/JavaScript
• Hands-on experience with modern automation frameworks:
• Playwright / Cypress (UI Automation)
• Pytest, Robot Framework, or similar frameworks
• Strong experience in API testing:
• REST APIs using tools like Postman/Newman, REST Assured, or Python (requests)
• Experience with CI/CD tools such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or GitLab CI
• Solid understanding of cloud-native architectures (microservices, containers, distributed systems)
• Experience working with Docker and Kubernetes-based environments
• Strong understanding of SDLC and Agile methodologies
• Experience testing cloud-based applications, preferably on AWS
• Familiarity with contract testing / schema validation (OpenAPI, Pact, etc.)
• Exposure to observability tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, ELK/OpenSearch
• Familiarity with AI-driven or intelligent test automation tools
• Strong debugging and problem-solving skills

Good to Have

• Experience testing AI/ML-driven systems or data-intensive applications, including:
• Validating outputs for accuracy and consistency
• Understanding non-deterministic system behavior (e.g., LLM-based features)
• Experience with test data management and validation frameworks (e.g., Great Expectations)
• Knowledge of event-driven architectures (Kafka, messaging systems)
• Exposure to security testing fundamentals (OWASP)
• Experience with shift-right practices such as monitoring, logging, or canary validation

Soft Skills

• Strong collaboration and communication skills
• Proactive mindset with a focus on continuous improvement
• Ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a team
• Attention to detail with a strong sense of ownership

Experience

• 5-7 years of experience in test automation / quality engineering
• Proven experience working in agile, fast-paced product environments
• Experience contributing to automation frameworks and test strategy implementation

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field