Lead Software Engineer in Test

FlightSafety International; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

FlightSafety International seeks a Lead Software Engineer in Test to set testing direction across a complex, multi‑application domain, champion quality, and lead automation efforts using Playwright and other frameworks. The role combines hands‑on coding with mentoring, AI‑driven QA strategy, and collaboration with DevOps and QA teams.

The position requires 8+ years of experience in software quality engineering or related FlightSafety ecosystems, a Bachelor's degree, and willingness to travel

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent experience.
• 8+ years in software quality engineering or related FlightSafety experience.
• 5+ years hands‑on with complex custom apps and automation.
• Experience in Scrum/Agile environments; mobile testing a plus.

Responsibilities

• Define testing strategies aligned with real user workflows.
• Design, develop and maintain scalable automation across UI, backend, API, mobile.
• Architect and maintain CI pipelines in Azure DevOps for testing.
• Mentor QA engineers on agile teams and promote modern automation practices.
• Define and execute the organization’s AI QA strategy and guidelines.
• Collaborate with test engineers to automate test cases and run tests efficiently.
• Lead test automation delivery and align with DevOps on quality goals.
• Prioritize workload, manage risks, and drive testing standards.
• Travel limited as needed.

Skills

Java

Python

C#

JavaScript

Dart

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Playwright

xUnit

Node.js

Selenium

Cucumber

Appium

.NET Core

PHP

Flutter

Azure DevOps

Job description

About FlightSafety International

FlightSafety International is the world’s premier professional aviation training company and supplier of flight simulators, visual systems and displays to commercial, government and military organizations. The company provides training for pilots, technicians and other aviation professionals from 167 countries and independent territories. FlightSafety operates the world’s largest fleet of advanced full-flight simulators and award-winning maintenance training at Learning Centers and training locations in the United States, Canada, France and the United Kingdom.

Purpose of Position

Serving as a hands‑on "player‑coach," the Lead Software Engineer in Test sets the Testing direction for quality across a highly complex, multi‑application business domain. You will champion application quality, driving the evolution of our manual and exploratory testing suites while remaining actively engaged in our functional and non-functional automation frameworks to ensure comprehensive quality.

Tasks and Responsibilities

Leverage deep system and business knowledge of the Training Experience domain to ensure testing strategies map accurately to real-world user workflows and complex downstream data impacts.

• Own the requirements reviews and help Test Automaters design, develop, and maintain robust, scalable automation frameworks (utilizing Playwright where applicable) across UI, backend, API, and Mobile using behavior-driven and test-driven development practices.
• Architect and maintain continuous testing pipelines within Azure DevOps, implementing intelligent test execution strategies (e.g., subset testing, parallelization) to optimize build times.
• Mentor and coach QA engineers on scrum teams to adopt modern Test Automation techniques such as Behavior Driven Development, apply design patterns, etc.
• Define and implement our organizational AI strategy for QA, establishing guidelines and tool recommendations for leveraging AI to improve testing efficiency securely.
• Collaborate with functional test engineers to automate test cases and ensure efficient execution of automation tests.
• Enable a value-driven and risk-based approach to testing across the organization.
• Establish organization-wide best practices and standards for Test Automation.
• Recommend appropriate tools and architectures for the organization’s Test Automation needs across all functional domains.
• Lead test automation delivery of projects, collaborate with resource managers, technical leads, and DevOps to ensure alignment on quality goals and test automation efforts.
• Prioritize and manage workload, issues, and risks.
• Limited travel when required

Minimum Education

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution or equivalent industry experience

Minimum Experience

• 8+ years of experience in software quality engineering OR 8+ years of deep, hands‑on domain experience within FlightSafety’s operational, technical support, or product ecosystems.
• Demonstrated technical aptitude through previous scripting, troubleshooting complex system logic, or a proven track record of rapidly upskilling in programming and automation frameworks.
• 5+ years of hands‑on experience troubleshooting, navigating, or manually validating complex custom applications.
• Experience in a Scrum/Agile software development environment.
• Familiarity or experience with Mobile Application testing (e.g. Appium) is a plus.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Domain & System Mastery: Exceptional understanding of FlightSafety’s Training Experience domain, complex legacy applications, and multiple data sources is highly preferred and can offset formal automation tenure.
• Inquisitive Problem‑Solver: Takes ownership of difficult challenges and rapidly learns new technologies, domains, and complex business logic.
• Technical Ecosystem: Proficiency (or ability to rapidly upskill) in programming languages such as Java, Python, C#, or JavaScript/Dart. Familiarity with our managed tech stacks, including advanced test automation frameworks (Playwright), xUnit, Nodejs, Selenium, Cucumber, Appium, .NET Core/Framework, PHP, and Flutter.
• Expertise in functional and non-functional test automation in at least one tech stack, or the proven technical capacity to learn it quickly.
• Expertise in test data generation and management.
• Background in implementing or coaching Test Driven Development and Behavior Driven Development practices.
• Fluent in Scrum Practices, author user stories and acceptance criteria with GHERKIN.
• Practitioner of Agile Methodologies, eXtreme Programming, Software Craftsmanship, DevOps, Continuous Delivery, Domain Driven Design.
• Ability to drive transformational change in an emergent agile culture without relying on direct managerial authority.
• Understands how to leverage static and dynamic code scanning results.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with ability to lead and mentor.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met and/or encountered by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

FlightSafety is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Vet/Disabled. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability.

Any offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion of required compliance reviews, including verification that the candidate is not prohibited from employment under U.S. economic sanctions programs administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

This position may require access to export-controlled technology or services subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Employment consideration and any offer of employment are contingent upon the applicant’s ability to comply with these requirements, including qualifying as a “U.S. Person” under applicable regulations or otherwise eligible for export authorization within a timeframe consistent with business needs. A “U.S. Person” includes U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (holders of approved and unexpired green cards), and certain refugees or asylees with protected status under U.S. law.

This position may also require eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance for the duration of employment.

Cybersecurity Notice: All official recruiting communication from FlightSafety International will come from an @flightsafety.com email address. FlightSafety International will never ask for personal or financial information through social media or third-party email providers.