Principal Test Engineer

Fortra; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Fortra is seeking a Principal Test Engineer to serve as a technical authority driving software quality across complex products. You will influence test strategies, lead automation efforts with AI-assisted tools, and guide cross-functional teams through design reviews, risk assessments, and release readiness.

This senior individual-contributor role focuses on advancing testing practices, mentoring peers, and establishing standards across projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Typically 10 or more years of experience in software testing, quality assurance, test engineering, or a related discipline.
• Significant experience developing and implementing test strategies for complex software products.
• Demonstrated ability to independently identify quality risks, determine appropriate test coverage, and make sound testing recommendations.
• Advanced experience with functional, integration, regression, exploratory, and non-functional testing.
• Strong experience investigating, reproducing, and isolating complex and intermittent software defects.
• Advanced knowledge of test automation principles, frameworks, tools, and design patterns.
• Demonstrated experience developing, maintaining, and reporting on automated regression tests.
• Expert-level knowledge of an assigned product or product line, or the ability to develop that expertise quickly.
• Strong knowledge of software development and testing processes, methodologies, and best practices.
• Expert knowledge of at least one scripting or programming language relevant to the product environment.
• Strong working knowledge of at least one additional scripting or programming language.
• Experience working with test management, defect tracking, and documentation tools.
• Strong technical knowledge of relevant platforms and technologies, which may include Windows, Linux, IBM i, SQL, APIs, databases, or web services.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical work and influence decisions without formal management authority.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex technical risks to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and collaborate effectively across Development, Product Management, Support, and other teams.

Responsibilities

• Own and influence test strategy for complex products, major features, and cross-functional projects.
• Develop test plans, estimates, coverage approaches, and risk assessments for new functionality and product releases.
• Establish appropriate testing approaches based on product risk, customer impact, technical complexity, and release requirements.
• Drive automated testing and use AI-assisted development tools to build, maintain, and improve reliable test automation, validating generated code and tests to strengthen coverage and accelerate feedback.
• Lead functional, integration, system, regression, exploratory, and non-functional testing activities.
• Evaluate test coverage and communicate quality risks, limitations, and release-readiness recommendations to project stakeholders.
• Participate in product requirements and design reviews, providing the testing perspective and identifying potential usability, technical, integration, and quality risks.
• Challenge requirements and designs when necessary to improve product quality, testability, reliability, and maintainability.
• Investigate, reproduce, troubleshoot, and isolate complex, intermittent, and environment-specific issues.
• Partner with Software Engineering and Product Management to support defect triage, root-cause analysis, prioritization, and resolution.
• Lead the development, maintenance, and reporting of automated regression testing.
• Identify opportunities to improve test automation, testing efficiency, coverage, reporting, and quality processes.
• Coordinate and provide technical direction for testing activities performed by multiple testers across projects or product areas.
• Establish, document, and promote testing standards, processes, tools, and best practices.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for assigned products or product lines and share product knowledge with Development, Support, Customer Success, and other internal teams.
• Mentor less-experienced testers and provide guidance on testing techniques, tools, risk analysis, and career development.
• Support the development of testing goals, quality metrics, and continuous-improvement initiatives.
• Create knowledge-management materials, technical documentation, how-to articles, and other resources that support consistent testing practices.
• Maintain accurate test cases, test results, defect records, and supporting documentation in applicable project and test management systems.
• Stay current with software testing practices, automation technologies, development methodologies, and relevant technical trends

Skills

Software testing

Test automation

QA strategy

Regression testing

Root-cause analysis

Communication

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/IT/Engineering or related field

Tools

Test management tools

Defect tracking tools

Job description

Whether you’re an experienced professional or just getting started, your contributions matter at Fortra. If you’re passionate about tackling meaningful challenges alongside talented team members committed to helping each other succeed, all while having lots of fun, we want to hear from you.We offer competitive benefits and salaries, personal and professional development opportunities, flexibility, andmuch more!

The Principal Test Engineer is a technical authority responsible for advancing software quality across assigned products and projects. This role develops and influences test strategies for complex features and product releases, identifies and communicates quality risks, improves test coverage and automation, and helps ensure reliable customer outcomes.

The Principal Test Engineer works closely with Software Engineering, Product Management, and other cross-functional teams throughout the product development lifecycle. This role may lead testing activities across multiple projects, provide technical direction to other testers, establish testing standards and best practices, and serve as a subject matter expert for assigned products or product lines.

This is a senior individual-contributor role and does not necessarily include formal people-management responsibilities.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Own and influence test strategy for complex products, major features, and cross-functional projects.
• Develop test plans, estimates, coverage approaches, and risk assessments for new functionality and product releases.
• Establish appropriate testing approaches based on product risk, customer impact, technical complexity, and release requirements.
• Drive automated testing and use AI-assisted development tools to build, maintain, and improve reliable test automation, validating generated code and tests to strengthen coverage and accelerate feedback.
• Lead functional, integration, system, regression, exploratory, and non-functional testing activities.
• Evaluate test coverage and communicate quality risks, limitations, and release-readiness recommendations to project stakeholders.
• Participate in product requirements and design reviews, providing the testing perspective and identifying potential usability, technical, integration, and quality risks.
• Challenge requirements and designs when necessary to improve product quality, testability, reliability, and maintainability.
• Investigate, reproduce, troubleshoot, and isolate complex, intermittent, and environment-specific issues.
• Partner with Software Engineering and Product Management to support defect triage, root-cause analysis, prioritization, and resolution.
• Lead the development, maintenance, and reporting of automated regression testing.
• Identify opportunities to improve test automation, testing efficiency, coverage, reporting, and quality processes.
• Coordinate and provide technical direction for testing activities performed by multiple testers across projects or product areas.
• Establish, document, and promote testing standards, processes, tools, and best practices.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for assigned products or product lines and share product knowledge with Development, Support, Customer Success, and other internal teams.
• Mentor less-experienced testers and provide guidance on testing techniques, tools, risk analysis, and career development.
• Support the development of testing goals, quality metrics, and continuous-improvement initiatives.
• Create knowledge-management materials, technical documentation, how-to articles, and other resources that support consistent testing practices.
• Maintain accurate test cases, test results, defect records, and supporting documentation in applicable project and test management systems.
• Stay current with software testing practices, automation technologies, development methodologies, and relevant technical trends
  

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Typically 10 or more years of experience in software testing, quality assurance, test engineering, or a related discipline.
• Significant experience developing and implementing test strategies for complex software products.
• Demonstrated ability to independently identify quality risks, determine appropriate test coverage, and make sound testing recommendations.
• Advanced experience with functional, integration, regression, exploratory, and non-functional testing.
• Strong experience investigating, reproducing, and isolating complex and intermittent software defects.
• Advanced knowledge of test automation principles, frameworks, tools, and design patterns.
• Demonstrated experience developing, maintaining, and reporting on automated regression tests.
• Expert-level knowledge of an assigned product or product line, or the ability to develop that expertise quickly.
• Strong knowledge of software development and testing processes, methodologies, and best practices.
• Expert knowledge of at least one scripting or programming language relevant to the product environment.
• Strong working knowledge of at least one additional scripting or programming language.
• Experience working with test management, defect tracking, and documentation tools.
• Strong technical knowledge of relevant platforms and technologies, which may include Windows, Linux, IBM i, SQL, APIs, databases, or web services.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical work and influence decisions without formal management authority.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex technical risks to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and collaborate effectively across Development, Product Management, Support, and other teams.

Ready to join us?Visit our website to learn more about why employees choose to work for Fortra. Remember to connect with us on LinkedIn.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran or disability status.