Senior Quality Engineer - AI-Driven Testing & Quality

InnoWave; Portugal; Hybrid; EUR 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

InnoWave in Portugal is seeking a Senior Quality Engineer to lead automation and QA strategy across UI, API and data layers. You will build a target-state automation architecture, justify tooling choices, and embed tests into CI/CD with secure gates.

The role requires 4+ years in software quality, hands-on automation (Selenium or Playwright), Python, and English fluency. You will mentor squads, collaborate with engineering, and maintain portable test infra in a hybrid office setup.

Qualifications

• Degree in Computer Science, MIS, Software Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• 4+ years in software quality engineering, across multiple layers (UI, API, or data).
• Built or rebuilt automation where little existed, not just extended an existing suite.
• Hands-on automation with Selenium or Playwright and API test automation.
• Test automation in Python; strong in JavaScript/TypeScript or C#.
• Comfortable with SQL; validate data at rest.
• Integrating test suites into CI/CD pipelines.
• Routine use of AI coding and testing tools.
• Track record of tooling recommendations adopted by non-reporting stakeholders.
• Clear communication with non-technical stakeholders; English fluent.

Responsibilities

• Audit current coverage, tooling, and process to identify real risk.
• Define target-state automation architecture and staged path by risk.
• Build the case for change and secure buy-in from engineering, product, and leadership.
• Close testability gaps with engineering to enable automation.
• Design and build UI/API/database coverage in Python, and TS/C#/Go where appropriate.
• Validate data at rest and data-layer migrations.
• Integrate test suites into CI/CD with performance, load, and contract testing.
• Conduct security testing and coordinate remediation with security teams.
• Keep test infrastructure portable (container runners, self-hosted grids).
• Use AI tools to generate/maintain tests and deliver ROI recommendations.
• Create quality dashboards and release go/no-go reports.
• Embed in Agile squads as QE lead; mentor onshore/offshore QE.

Skills

Automation experience

Selenium/Playwright

Python

TypeScript/C#/Go

SQL

CI/CD integration

AI testing tools

Stakeholder communication

English fluency

Hybrid work

Education

Degree in Computer Science / MIS / Software Engineering

Tools

Selenium

Playwright

BrowserStack

JUnit/NUnit

Job description

InnoWave is looking for a dynamic, agile person, good communication skills to complete our team. If you're based in Portugal, this might be the opportunity for you!

Senior Quality Engineer

Responsibilities

• Audit current coverage, tooling, and process, and identify where the real risk sits rather than where testing is easiest.
• Define the target-state automation architecture and a staged path to it, sequenced by risk, including proofs of concept, and recommending against tools that do not earn their cost.
• Build the case for change and secure buy-in from engineering, product, and leadership.
• Close testability gaps that block automation, like unstable environments, nondeterministic data, missing seams, with engineering.
• Design and build UI (Selenium, Playwright, BrowserStack), API, and database coverage, including regression and contract testing, in Python where we start fresh, in JavaScript/Typescript or C# where tests belong beside existing code.
• Validate data at rest with SQL and NoSQL, and validate data‑layer change: migrations, parity checks, behavioral equivalence.
• Integrate suites into CI/CD as enforced quality gates: run performance and load testing, including async and queue-based paths.
• Conduct security testing and partner with security engineering to validate findings and verify remediation.
• Keep test infrastructure portable (containerized runners, self‑hostable grids) and own test data management: masking, synthetic generation, and controlled access for teams handling subscriber and billing data.
• Use AI tools to generate and maintain tests, apply AI‑assisted log analysis and defect clustering, and deliver enablement with honest ROI recommendations.
• Build quality dashboards and executive release reports with clear go/no‑go recommendations.

Embed in Agile squads as QE lead, coordinate onshore/offshore QE, mentor through pair testing and review, and work alongside the development team.

Required Skills

• Degree in Computer Science, MIS, Software Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• 4+ years in software quality engineering, including owning test strategy across more than one layer (UI, API, or data).
• Built or substantially rebuilt automation where little existed, not only extended a mature suite someone else designed.
• Hands‑on automation with Selenium or Playwright, plus API test automation.
• Test automation in Python, our preferred language for the new estate. Strength in JavaScript/Typescript or C# with a willingness to work in Python is equally fine.
• Comfortable with SQL, and able to validate data at rest rather than only through the UI.
• Integrating test suites into CI/CD pipelines.
• Routine use of AI coding and testing tools, with a clear view of where they help and where they don't.
• A track record of getting a tooling recommendation adopted by people who did not report to you.
• Clear communication with non‑technical stakeholders, including release recommendations you can defend.
• Fluent in English - written and spoken (mandatory).
• Availability to work in an Hybrid model in one of our offices.

Preferred Skills

• Making test suites blocking gates in CI/CD rather than advisory checks.
• Performance and load testing (JMeter, k6, Gatling, or similar).
• Self‑hosted test infrastructure (containerized runners, self‑managed grids) and infrastructure‑as‑code for repeatable test environments.
• Contract testing (Pact or similar) and event‑driven systems: Kafka, RabbitMQ, NATS.
• Data migration testing: parity validation and behavioral equivalence for converted database logic.
• Test data management at scale: masking, synthetic generation, regulated personal data.
• Go, useful for exercising Go services, though the suite itself would not be written in Go.
• Observability data (logs, metrics, traces) as a primary triage input.
• Telco experience: BSS/OSS, provisioning, billing, or network data.

InnoWave gives equal opportunity in employment regardless of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, race, nationality, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, or any other factor. InnoWave will not pay fees to any third‑party agency or company that does not have a signed agreement, do not submit resumes/CV's directly.

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